Embedded Files
Next Meeting: 11/10/25, 7 PM, Ozark-Dale Library
Focus On the Issues: Foreign Policy (Post 2024 Election Articles)
Video: ‘He’s basically reset the clock to January’: David Sanger reacts to Trump’s trade deal with China - October 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWbNjQllfH4
Comment: Suggest you watch all of the video, to understand what was not accomplished in the "deal"
Video: Trump gets gold crown from South Korea - October 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFmqau7Ht-M
Comment: Do we want other countries to think of the U.S. as some kind of kingdom, with Trump as a king?
How Israel is winning the wars and losing the peace
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/28/nx-s1-5566664/israel-gaza-war-peace
Comment: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently stood next to President Trump in Israel's parliament in Jerusalem and summarized the last two years of war: 'Israel achieved amazing victories over Hamas and the entire Iran terror axis — Sinwar, Deif, Haniyah, Nasrallah, Assad — they're all gone.' "
"This list refers to countries (Iran, Syria and Lebanon), groups (Hamas and Hezbollah) and individuals (Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyah of Hamas, Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah and Bashar al-Assad of Syria) that have been Israel's main enemies for decades."
"Yet at the same time, 'While Netanyahu was winning wars, he was not able to win any of the peace, or any of the peaces,' said Paul Salem, who's based in Lebanon with the Middle East Institute. 'He was not able to turn his military victories into sustainable political wins. He was digging Israel deeper into a hole.' "
"Israel has also come under withering international criticism. This is mostly over the Gaza war, which began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which Israeli authorities say killed 1,144 people. In its ferocious response, Israel's military killed more than 68,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza health officials."
"Israel faces charges of genocide at the International Court of Justice, and Netanyahu has been charged with war crimes at the International Criminal Court. Israel and Netanyahu reject both these charges."
"For Israel, 'From a purely military perspective, things look much better. From a foreign policy perspective, things could not have deteriorated much more than they have," said Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security advisor in Israel."
Comment: "Today, the criticism of Israel comes from all directions. Outrage in the Arab world. Mass protests in European cities and on U.S. college campuses."
"Yet Freilich says his biggest worry is the U.S.-Israel relationship, which he has seen from both sides."
Comment: " 'For me, this is really the only existential threat that Israel faces, is a loss of American support,' he said. 'srael needs the United States critically for just about every issue it faces.' "
"Israel used to have rock-solid bipartisan support in the U.S."
" 'Today there is an absolute collapse of support on the Democratic side, and we see the beginnings of a decrease in support on the Republican side,' he said."
Deadliest day in Gaza since ceasefire as Israel launches wave of strikes, accusing Hamas of breaching truce
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/28/middleeast/israel-military-strikes-gaza-latam-intl
Israel launches strikes on Gaza after Netanyahu orders 'powerful' attacks
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c891ex72nj7t
Comment: "Less than three weeks after the Gaza ceasefire came into effect, Israel has launched fresh strikes on the territory after both sides accused one another of violating the fragile truce."
"The strikes followed an order from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for "powerful" attacks after his office said a coffin handed over by Hamas on Monday did not contain the body of an additional deceased hostage but rather remains of Ofir Tzarfati whose body was recovered by Israeli forces in late 2023."
"Since those strikes were carried out, the Hamas-affiliated Gaza Civil Defence agency has said that nine people have been killed - including four women, three men and two children."
"The Israeli military has been approached by the BBC for comment on the reported killings."
"The US - which helped broker the deal - maintains that the ceasefire is 'holding'. But even Vice-President JD Vance acknowledged the delicate nature of the agreement, as he added: 'that doesn't mean that there aren't going to be little skirmishes here and there.' "
Comment: Do you think the families of those killed, consider the actions to be "little skirmishes?"
Video: Graham on U.S. potentially expanding Venezuela operations, says “it’s time for Maduro to go" - October 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdpLr5LICg8
Trump and Xi talks: what will be on the agenda when US president meets China’s leader?
Comment: "Talks on Thursday will centre on tariffs as Trump seeks to end a bruising trade war with Beijing, while Taiwan and Russia are also likely to be discussed"
Why Any Deal at the Trump-Xi Summit Is Unlikely to Last
https://time.com/7328529/trump-xi-summit-us-china-trade-negotiations-deal-meeting-analysis/
Comment: "In Kuala Lumpur, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a 'framework' agreement for the leaders to 'consummate' has been reached for a tariff truce, including a revival of Chinese purchases of American soybeans, a year-long pause on rare earth restrictions, as well as a 'final deal' on the sale of social media platform TikTok in the U.S."
"In turn, China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said the two sides reached a 'preliminary consensus' that must now be ratified by each side’s internal approval processes. Certainly, China desperately needs some reprieve from the tariffs as it battles myriad economic challenges, including slowing growth, entrenched deflation, record youth unemployment, and a depressed real estate sector."
Comment: "Still, while much of the world holds out hope that its top two economies with $45 trillion combined output can thrash out a meaningful deal, there is no guarantee. 'Bessent’s comments … suggest leaders Xi and Trump will have no formal U.S.-PRC trade agreement to announce on Thursday in Korea,' says Sean King, senior vice president focusing on Asia for consulting firm Park Strategies. 'Rather, it seems the two sides have merely come up with yet another framework that just enables them to keep talking.' "
"Reasons for pessimism are clear. Time and again, Trump has ripped up negotiations on a whim—most recently ending trade talks and hiking import levies on Canada by 10% in response to an anti-tariff ad published by the government of Ontario."
Comment: "Sticking to a deal 'doesn’t seem to be Trump’s game,' says Chong Ja Ian, professor of international relations at the National University of Singapore. 'Not just on the trade front, but what he’s doing domestically in the United States—his whole point is disruption and keeping opponents off balance and on the back foot.' "
Comment: "Given this new era of perpetual negotiation, even if a deal is reached between Trump and Xi on Thursday, it’s unlikely to provide lasting relief—and especially as Washington and Beijing are anything but allies. The U.S. squeezing China on access to advanced chips and China’s return limits on rare earths have galvanized each side to address their respective strategic weakness. In May last year, China established a $47.5 billion state fund to boost its semiconductor industry; the U.S., meanwhile, has inked billions of dollars worth of rare earth deals in recent months with nations including Saudi Arabia, Australia, and, just on Sunday, Malaysia."
"It speaks to a confrontational dynamic between the U.S. and China that renders interdependence a weakness, self-reliance the new lodestar, and Great Power collaboration largely a thing of the past. Adds Chong: 'Given this increasingly competitive orientation, and also the PRC willingness to hit back, I’m afraid that predictability and certainty isn’t going to be forthcoming anytime soon.' "
"Mission accomplished": Ontario premier defends ad that triggered Trump
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/27/ford-trump-canada-ontario-reagan-tariffs
Argentina's midterm election hands decisive win to Milei's libertarian overhaul
Comment: "Argentine President Javier Milei's party cruised to victory in midterm legislative elections as voters handed him a mandate to keep pushing through his radical overhaul of the economy despite widespread discontent with his deep austerity measures."
"A relief to Milei, whose poll numbers had sagged in recent weeks, the results are also likely to please U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration had faced criticism after providing Argentina with a hefty financial bailout."
Comment: Trump's preferred Argentine candidate won. Hopefully that helps stabilizes the Argentine currency and prevents possible $20 billion U.S. loss after we traded U.S. Dollars for Argentine Pesos in a currency swap to help Milei.
Brazilian President Lula says Trump 'guaranteed' trade deal with U.S.
AP News: Venezuela suspends energy agreements with Trinidad after US warship arrives at island nation
Video: Venezuela accuses U.S. of preparing false flag attack - October 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPbNvr09CwU
Venezuela calls U.S.-Trinidad and Tobago military exercises a "provocation"
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/27/us-warship-trinidad-tobago-military-provocation-venezuela
Netanyahu says Israel will decide which international forces are 'unacceptable' in Gaza
Comment: "A number of countries have offered to take part in the international stabilization force expected to operate in Gaza, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said, even as key details, including its mandate, were still being negotiated."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel would determine 'which forces are unacceptable to us'."
" 'This is, of course, acceptable to the United States as well, as its most senior representatives have expressed in recent days,' Netanyahu told a session of his Cabinet."
"During a visit to Israel, Rubio said Friday that the force would have to be made up of countries that Israel is 'comfortable with,' adding that any potential role for the Palestinian Authority has yet to be determined."
Comment: Netanyahu's attitude might best be described by the Yiddish term "chutzpah"
Video: Scott Bessent says China ‘ready to make a deal’ to avoid new 100% tariff: Full interview - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGWt1xZ4-xk
Video: Trump eyes 'good' trade deal after US, China talks | REUTERS - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufVulWf16yk
Video: US and Chinese officials reach 'framework' of a trade deal - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIVshLsM1VY
Bessent says U.S. and China have reached framework in tariff negotiations
Comment: "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that he reached a 'substantial framework' for trade talks between the U.S. and China ahead of a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday -- potentially averting hefty tariffs on imported Chinese goods."
" 'I think we've reached a substantial framework for the two leaders who will meet in Korea next Thursday,' Bessent told ABC News' 'This Week' co-anchor Martha Raddatz. 'The president had given me maximum leverage when he threatened 100% tariffs if the Chinese imposed their rare earth global export controls, so I think we have averted that,' adding that the tariffs on Chinese goods would be avoided if the deal holds."
"On China's threat to impose export controls on valuable rare earth minerals, Bessent said he believes 'they are going to delay that for a year while they reexamine it.' "
"Bessent also alluded to a potential deal on American soybeans after China stopped purchasing them from the U.S. amid the ongoing trade war. According to the American Soybean Association, China is the largest buyer of American soybeans, purchasing more than 50% of U.S. exports in 2023 and 2024."
Comment: While one can be cautiously optimistic at this point, the terms "framework" and "potential" can also make one a bit skeptical. It would be great to get a signed trade agreement document with specifics that can be enforced.
Comment: A one year "delay" on rare earth mineral exports doesn't sound like a major win for the U.S., especially from a President who touts himself as an excellent dealmaker.
Reuters: US, China reach rare earths, tariff pause for Trump and Xi to consider
CNN: US and China ease trade tensions on first day of Trump’s Asia diplomacy tour
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-asia-trip-china-10-26-25
Russia has tested a new nuclear-capable missile, Putin and top general say
A rare look at life inside Nicolás Maduro's Venezuela as U.S. heightens its pressure campaign
Comment: (Video) Includes lengthy video from CBS "60 Minutes." The text is the transcript. (Video)
'No doubt' Trump wants to topple our government, Venezuelan official tells BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyg2wljz6xo
US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago, putting more pressure on Venezuela | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/26/world/us-warship-docks-trinidad-venezeula-latam-intl
Video: ‘Dubious legality’: Retired General weighs in on Trump Caribbean boat strikes - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v8MF4R9DqQ
Video: Carney ready to talk after Trump’s new tariff threats - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kLLXrQ-o7k
Video: Trump’s ‘temper tantrum’ is ‘embarrassing,’ says U.S. Democratic senator - October 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1GSGFGkaIc
Comment: Statement to Canadian media, referring to Trump's reaction to Ontario's Reagan ad on tariffs.
Trump says he’s increasing tariffs on Canada by 10% after Ontario’s Reagan ad | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/25/business/trump-tariffs-canada-reagan
Comment: Tariff increase based on Trump's whim. What will the rate be tomorrow and how will the resulting chaos be handled by businesses on both sides of the border?
Prime Minister Netanyahu stands increasingly alone at home and abroad
Video: Trump: I’m Open To Meeting With North Korea's Kim Jong-Un - October 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JxatRZoPE8
Comment: For decades, the U.S. treated North Korea and its leadership like the outcasts they are. Now Trump treats Kim Jong-Un with more respect than he does to many of our allies. Of course, Kim welcomes the attention from a U.S. President. It greatly increases Kim's influence and status, despite his dictatorial reign, the absolute poverty of his people, and the military threat he poses to his neighbors.
The Guardian: Turkey likely to be excluded from Gaza stabilisation force after Israeli objection
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/25/turkey-gaza-stabilisation-force-israeli-objection
Video: China’s Xi launches largest crackdown on country’s Christians in years - October 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0lw0gUk9oY
Video: Brazil's Lula Sends Defiant Message To Trump Amid US Military Build-Up In Caribbean|Venezuela|Tariff - October 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50IQXuOq63o
Why is Trump, the self-proclaimed ‘president of peace’, aiming to topple the Venezuelan regime?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/25/trump-venezuela-strikes-regime-change
Comment: "The policy has been shaped by a Trump administration power struggle that has seen Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and acting national security adviser, triumph over Richard Grenell, Trump’s envoy to Venezuela, who was sidelined after arguing for a pragmatic approach that would help secure oil deals."
"Maduro and other senior regime figures are said to have offered extensive concessions in an effort to end the confrontation with Washington, including offering the US a dominant stake in Venezuela’s oil industry. The Trump administration has even eased some sanctions on Venezuelan oil, granting Chevron a licence to resume operating in the country and increase exports from Venezuela. But longstanding tensions have instead escalated further after Rubio pressed the case for a tough approach."
" 'Trump had, in many conversations, meetings with different people emphasized that he really only cared about [Venezuela’s] oil,' said a US businessman with longstanding ties to Venezuela and close knowledge of the White House’s policy. 'But Rubio was able to drum up this ‘narco-terrorist’ rhetoric and get Trump to pivot completely. The U-turn really reflects Rubio’s expanded influence in the administration.' "
"Rubio, a longtime critic of Maduro’s socialist regime, won the support of Stephen Miller, the powerful White House deputy chief of staff, and Susie Wiles, the chief of staff, in persuading Trump."
"He did so partly by seizing on the administration’s Designation of Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang of Venezuelan origin, as a 'foreign terrorist organisation' that had infiltrated the US and allegedly fuelled the influx of undocumented migrants fleeing Maduro’s regime."
"A White House proclamation last March further identified the gang as being in cahoots with the Cartel de los Soles, a shadowy grouping of Venezuelan military figures which the administration insists is headed by Maduro and is responsible for trafficking drugs to the US. Other sources have questioned that characterisation of the cartel and Maduro’s connections to it."
"Experts also question Venezuela’s significance as a drugs supplier. Although the country is a conduit for trafficking, it is not a primary source for most illegal substances entering the US. Fentanyl, which is responsible for most US drug-related deaths, is mainly sourced from Mexico."
Trump's U-turns on Russia and Ukraine, and the significance of new sanctions: ANALYSIS
The Daily Beast: Putin’s System Begins to Collapse as Russians Finally Dare to Confront Him
Comment: Interesting story. We can only hope it is true.
Top Russian envoy visits US for ‘official’ talks, days after Trump imposes sanctions on Moscow | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/europe/kirill-dmitriev-russian-envoy-visits-us-intl
Putin: U.S. sending new weapons to Ukraine would have 'serious response'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsiiReqU2tY
Trump’s big Argentina bet heads to the ballot box
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/24/trump-economy-argentina-elections-00621430
Comment: "President Javier Milei’s sweeping economic agenda is on the line when Argentina holds midterm elections this weekend. Also hanging in the balance: U.S. credibility in the region after President Donald Trump sought to throw his political ally a multibillion-dollar lifeline."
"The results of Sunday’s vote will shape the policies that Milei will be able to get through the legislature, a crucial piece of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s hopes that the country will finally break free from its decades-long cycle of debt. Beyond that, the outcome will signal whether Milei’s 'chainsaw' austerity program will have staying power past 2027, when the president himself faces reelection."
"Bessent has framed the U.S. entanglement in Argentina as part of a broader push to reassert American economic power in Latin America and to counter China’s growing clout across the continent. A setback for Milei could severely undercut that effort."
" 'From the perspective of the U.S. taxpayer, obviously there will be losses, but I don’t think those are the material thing here,' said Robin Brooks, a former chief foreign exchange strategist at Goldman Sachs who is now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. 'It’s more about the credibility of this particular undertaking and what it says about future undertakings.' ”
"The extraordinary U.S. intervention is the latest window into Trump’s often-chaotic, loyalty-based approach to geopolitics. While Argentina and its repeated cycles of fiscal turmoil may be idiosyncratic, the broader fallout from Trump’s gamble on the country could be more far-reaching. His administration is betting billions of dollars and U.S. influence on the bailout of a perpetually bankrupt country, yet it has not outlined a clear exit strategy."
"In the weeks since first pledging U.S. assistance for Milei, Bessent has intervened in the Argentine currency market to prop up the peso, which he argues is undervalued. The U.S. finalized an agreement to give the central bank access to more dollars to boost the peso through a $20 billion currency swap line, and Treasury is trying to marshal another $20 billion in private financing."
Comment: OMG! Trump's "big Argentina bet." Remember folks, Trump is the only guy we know that bankrupted a casino!
A bad week for Hungary’s Orbán as Trump-Putin summit scrapped and US sanctions Russia | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/europe/hungary-orban-russia-oil-sanctions-intl
Video: Greenland’s defenses are being bolstered against Russia and China, but the real target is Trump - October 24 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0u8-hTZMss
Video: Trump ends trade talks with Canada after Reagan ‘anti-tariffs’ ad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pABUi669v3g
Comment: The attached link contains the ad that Trump got so angry about
Trump ends trade talks with Canada over tariffs ad that Ontario premier now says he’ll phase out
https://apnews.com/article/trump-canada-trade-tariffs-a0cfd202ef6f22052827b784be708fd6
Comment: "President Donald Trump announced he’s ending 'all trade negotiations' with Canada because of a television ad sponsored by one of its provinces that used the words of former President Ronald Reagan to criticize U.S. tariffs — prompting the province’s leader to later pull the ad."
"The post on Trump’s social media site Thursday night ratcheted up tensions with the U.S.'s northern neighbor after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he plans to double his country’s exports to countries outside the U.S.because of the threat posed by Trump’s tariffs. White House officials said Trump’s reaction was a culmination of the administration’s long, pent-up frustration about Canada’s strategy in trade talks."
"Later Friday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province had sponsored the ad, said it would be taken down, though it will still run this weekend."
"Ford said after talking with Prime Minister Mark Carney he’s decided to pause the advertising campaign effective Monday so that trade talks can resume. Ford said they’ve achieved their goal, having reached U.S. audiences at the highest levels."
Canada will restart trade talks when 'Americans are ready', says Carney
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjrlmd4pmeo
Comment: "Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country is prepared to resume trade negotiations with the US 'when the Americans are ready'."
"His remarks come after US President Donald Trump announced an immediate end to the talks over an advert critical of the tariffs he has imposed on the nation."
"The advert, sponsored by the Canadian province of Ontario, quotes former US President Ronald Reagan, a Republican and icon of US conservatism, saying tariffs 'hurt every American'."
"The Trump administration has imposed a 35% levy on many Canadian imports, as well as individual tariffs targeting particular industries like car and steel manufacturing that have hit Ontario particularly hard."
Trump considering plans to target cocaine facilities inside Venezuela, officials say | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/venezuela-cocaine-trafficking-routes-trump
Video: Trump says he "may go back to Congress" on Venezuela land strikes - October 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YocNjOgV3-g
Video: Breaking down the U.S. military buildup near Venezuela amid strikes on alleged drug boats - October 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAKc1tUIvOQ
Maduro boasts of ‘thousands’ of Russian anti-aircraft missiles as Trump threatens military action inside Venezuela | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/americas/maduro-trump-venezuela-military-intl-hnk
How Trump’s plans for a Budapest summit with Putin turned into sanctions on Russia | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/23/politics/trump-putin-russia-reversal-sanctions-summit
Exclusive-China state oil majors suspend Russian oil buys due to sanctions, sources say
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-china-state-oil-majors-185707648.html
Video: Hear Russia’s response to Trump’s new sanctions on its two largest oil companies - October 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjEEs4RTec8
Putin deplores US sanctions as ‘unfriendly’ while EU joins in heaping restrictions on Russia
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-europe-us-sanctions-f9d98cd011533b6f1c071ea2cef9f2d9
Comment: "The European Union on Thursday heaped more economic sanctions on Russia, adding to U.S. President Donald Trump's new punitive measures the previous day against the Russian oil industry. Russian President Vladimir Putin called Washington’s move an 'unfriendly act that could backfire by spiking global oil prices."
"The American and European sanctions are intended as part of a broadened effort to choke off the revenue and supplies that fuel Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, compelling Putin to negotiate an end to the war."
Frustrations boil over as Vance delivers ‘firm’ message to Netanyahu - POLITICO
Comment: "The White House is growing increasingly frustrated with Israel just two weeks after President Donald Trump triumphantly announced a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring peace to the Middle East."
"The mounting frustrations come as a succession of senior officials are passing through Israel this week looking to keep a fragile ceasefire in place. They see some recent developments — the Israeli Defense Force’s counter-attack in Gaza on Sunday, and the Knesset’s vote in favor of West Bank annexation, which Trump has ruled out — as detrimental to the already fragile agreement between Israel and Hamas."
"Vice President JD Vance delivered a 'firm message' from President Donald Trump during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Wednesday, according to two people familiar with the conversation who were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly."
"After assuring the U.S. that its response to a Hamas attack on two Israeli soldiers would be careful and limited, the counter-attack on Sunday left more than 40 civilians dead. Senior U.S. officials expressed their frustration about the severity of the attack, telling one Arab ally that Israel was 'out of control,' one of the two people familiar with the conversation said."
"The administration’s private exasperation has begun to emerge in public view. Trump, in an interview published on Thursday, suggested Israel could lose all U.S. support if it annexed the West Bank, which followed condemnations from Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner."
Vance slams Israel's parliament vote on West Bank annexation, calling it an 'insult'
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/23/g-s1-94586/vance-israel-west-bank-rubio
Comment: U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized Thursday Israel's parliament vote on West Bank annexation, saying it amounted to an 'insult.' Vance's scathing remark came as his visit wrapped up Thursday and after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would now be traveling to Israel."
"Vance's words and the intense diplomacy indicate that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration was intent on keeping up the momentum on the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza."
"Speaking on the tarmac of Tel Aviv's international airport before departing Israel, Vance said that if the Knesset vote was a 'political stunt, then it is a very stupid political stunt.'"
Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada will double its non-US exports as Canadians can’t rely on US
https://apnews.com/article/canada-carney-trump-budget-exports-c78a41c00167bc1d8177d5d74e34d09f
Comment: "Prime Minister Mark Carney set a goal for Canada to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, saying American tariffs are causing a chill in investment."
"Carney, who will release his government’s budget on Nov. 4, said Wednesday many of Canada’s former strengths — based on close ties to America — have become vulnerabilities."
" 'The jobs of workers in our industries most affected by U.S. tariffs — autos, steel, lumber — are under threat. Our businesses are holding back investments, restrained by the pall of uncertainty that is hanging over all of us,' Carney said."
"U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening Canada’s economy and sovereignty with tariffs, most offensively by claiming Canada could be 'the 51st state'. "
"Carney reiterated in an evening address to Canadians that the decades-long process of an ever-closer economic relationship between the Canadian and U.S. economies is now over."
Donald Trump takes his first direct shot at Vladimir Putin
https://thehill.com/newsletters/morning-report/5569030-trump-sanctions-russian-oil/
Comment: "President Trump on Wednesday took his most significant and direct action yet against Russian President Vladimir Putin in a so-far-unsuccessful push to get the Kremlin leader to end his yearslong war with Ukraine."
"New sanctions, announced by the Treasury Department, are targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies, Open Joint Stock Company Rosneft Oil Company and Lukoil OAO, in addition to dozens of subsidiaries."
"The news broke just before the president spoke with reporters at the White House alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where Trump told reporters he 'felt it was time' to elevate the punishments against Russia."
Comment: Finally! Most foreign policy experts and many in Congress have said this action was long overdue.
Trump hits Russian oil companies with long-threatened sanctions: 'It was time'
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-hits-russian-oil-companies-sanctions-time/story?id=126774873
Comment: Perhaps, Past time?
State Department rebukes International Court of Justice opinion demanding Israel faciliate UNRWA Gaza aid
Comment: The State Department rebuffed a recent ruling from the International Court of Justice on Wednesday, defending Israel on a Court opinion that found the Israeli government is obligated to facilitate a stream of aid to Gaza."
"The ICJ ruling — issued earlier Wednesday — asserted Israel has an obligation under human rights law to allow essential aid to reach Gaza in collaboration with United Nations agencies. In a post on X shortly after, the State Department slammed the decision as 'corrupt,' defending both Israel’s and the Trump administration’s actions in the region while also reiterating long-held allegations tying the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees to Hamas."
Comment: Apparently, the rules don't apply to Israel.
Video: World Court says Israel must allow UN aid into Gaza - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dy0h7k6G7QA
The Guardian: Jewish figures across the globe call on UN and world leaders to sanction Israel
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/22/jewish-notables-open-letter-un-sanction-israel
US axes website for reporting human rights abuses by US-armed foreign forces
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx30vnwd4do
Comment: "The US State Department has removed an online portal for reporting alleged human rights violations by foreign military units supplied with American weapons."
"The Human Rights Reporting Gateway (HRG) acted as a formal 'tip line' to the US government."
"It was the only publicly accessible channel of its kind for organisations or individuals to inform it directly of potentially serious abuses by US-armed foreign forces."
Comment: "The portal was established in 2022 following pressure on successive administrations to abide by updated provisions of the Leahy Law, named after former US Senator Patrick Leahy. These require the government to 'facilitate receipt' of information on alleged gross violations of human rights by military units supplied by Washington."
"Among the cases submitted via the HRG was the alleged excessive use of force by security forces during anti-government protests in Colombia, while several cases were due to be submitted relating to US-armed units of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the occupied West Bank, according to Amnesty International."
American 'Bibisitters' try to keep the Israel-Hamas truce on track
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/22/nx-s1-5581401/vance-israel-gaza-ceasefire
Comment: "Vice President Vance said Wednesday the Israel-Hamas ceasefire is holding, but he acknowledged the challenges involved in trying to end the war entirely."
" 'We have a very tough task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza,' Vance said after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem."
"Vance is part of a high-profile U.S. team that's in Israel this week with the mission of keeping the truce on track and trying to extend it to a more challenging second phase."
"Netanyahu is universally known in Israel as 'Bibi.' The Israeli media are calling this American contingent the 'Bibisitters'."
"In addition to Vance, it includes Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of U.S. Central Command. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is also expected this week."
US military strikes boat in Pacific in apparent expansion of campaign against alleged drug trafficking | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/22/politics/us-military-strike-pacific-8th
US sanctions Russia’s two largest oil companies and calls on Moscow to agree to immediate ceasefire | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/22/politics/bessent-sanctions-russia
Video: Trump canceling Putin meeting a ‘positive’, but ‘actual pressure’ is needed: House Democrat - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcTSGmMbOKg
Video: Trump, Putin meeting canceled - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqDnpboN2qk
Bessent says ‘substantial pickup in Russia sanctions’ coming
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5567965-trump-administration-russia-sanctions/
Video: NATO chief to present Russia-Ukraine peace plan to Trump - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCSi-UzjvHw
After Trump’s turn toward Putin, NATO leader rushes to Washington - POLITICO
Video: Behind Trump's decision to cancel Putin summit - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO7yhhsYskE
Trump says he did not want 'wasted meeting' after plan for Putin talks shelved - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gjp73gp41o
Video: President Trump's second meeting with Vladimir Putin is off - October 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNnzG3IORXk
Video: Trump’s hope for quick second summit with Putin may be stalled - October 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-dc4kyfkBY
Comment: "Officials: Trump Pressured Zelensky To Give Up Land To Putin"
Axios: Trump's Venezuela operation expands in the dark
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/21/trump-venezuela-strikes-expand
Comment: Please read linked article for an explanation.
CIA playing ‘most important part’ in US strikes in the Caribbean, sources say
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/oct/21/us-strikes-caribbean-cia-role
Comment: "The Central Intelligence Agency is providing the bulk of the intelligence used to carry out the controversial lethal airstrikes by the Trump administration against small, fast-going boats in the Caribbean Sea suspected of carrying drugs from Venezuela, according to three sources familiar with the operations. Experts say the agency’s central role means much of the evidence used to select which alleged smugglers to kill on the open sea will almost certainly remain secret."
Comment: "Information the agency gathers against any of the alleged smugglers – dead or alive – is likely to remain classified and out of public view. That is in spite of the worldwide public interest and debate over the killing of civilians."
"The agency’s intelligence, unlike information gathered by the DEA or the US Coast Guard, which used to handle maritime interdiction operations against smugglers, is not designed as legal evidence."
" 'We do not produce evidence,' Mark Lowenthal, a former assistant director for analysis for the CIA, said. 'We have intelligence. It is not the same thing as evidence. It’s a different milieu. Sometimes it’s cold hard fact and sometimes lots less.' He emphasized he is speaking generally based on his past experience and has no independent information about the current boat strikes or intelligence."
"CIA intelligence is not designed for disclosure, in court or in public hearings – it is designed to 'never see the inside of a courtroom', one source said, because the CIA goes to great lengths to protect its sources and methods."
NPR: Japan's parliament elects Sanae Takaichi as nation's first female prime minister
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/21/nx-s1-5581178/japan-sanae-takaichi-female-prime-minister
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile toward the east, Seoul says
Comment: "North Korea performed its first ballistic missile test in five months Wednesday, South Korea’s military said, days before President Donald Trump and other world leaders are to gather in rival South for a regional conference."
Comment: "Experts earlier said North Korea could launch provocative missile tests before or during the APEC summit to underscore its commitment to being recognized as a nuclear weapons state. Experts say Kim would need that status to call for the U.N. to lift punishing economic sanctions on it."
Scoop: Democrats press Trump on preventing Israel from annexing West Bank
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/21/trump-gaza-peace-west-bank-annex-democrats-letter
Vance downplays concerns over ceasefire in visit to Israel as Trump administration officials privately worry | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/21/politics/israel-vance-trump-administration-ceasefire
Video: JD Vance visits Israel to advance ceasefire - October 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6EmfLZ6C7M
Vance voices optimism about preserving Gaza ceasefire during visit to Israel
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/21/vance-israel-optimism-preserving-gaza-ceasefire
Comment: Vance is optimistic, but is he realistic?
Israel will disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, says Netanyahu
Comment: "The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said he is committed to disarming Hamas and demilitarising the Gaza Strip during a speech before the Knesset on Monday, as Palestinian officials arrived in Cairo for further peace negotiations."
Comment: How much collateral damage and casualties will Israeli military create is its mission of disarming Hamas?
Comment: "The 10-day ceasefire in Gaza was rocked on Sunday after an attack by Hamas militants that killed two Israeli soldiers, prompting Israel to launch a wave of airstrikes across the Strip, resulting in the deaths of 44 Palestinians. Hamas denied being involved in the attack."
Comment: "The US has sought to downplay the seriousness of Sunday’s attacks, with Vance saying there will be 'hills and valleys' in the ceasefire process and suggesting Hamas leadership may not have been involved with the gun battle."
" 'When we talk about Hamas, you’re talking about 40 different cells. It’s disjointed. Some of those cells will probably honour the ceasefire. Many of those cells, as we saw some evidence of today, will not,' Vance told reporters on Sunday."
Comment: Vance talks about "hills and valleys." Perhaps "quagmire" might be a more appropriate term.
Comment: Read the rest of the linked article to better understand the many challenges ahead.
Video: Next steps in Israel-Hamas peace plan with ceasefire on shaky ground - October 20, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xabSU7CoZ4w
Yahoo Finance: China Becomes Canada’s Biggest Crude Customer Thanks to Trans Mountain
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-becomes-canada-biggest-crude-230000254.html
Comment: "For decades, Canadian oil exporters have only had one destination: south of the border. Yet things are changing. There’s a new big buyer in town, and it’s buying a lot: China."
"Canadian crude oil flows abroad began to change direction earlier this year, after the trade dispute ignited by U.S. President Trump prompted exporters to seek new markets, conveniently made more easily accessible by the expanded Trans Mountain pipeline."
NATO Ally Cuts Back Intel Sharing With United States
https://www.newsweek.com/nato-ally-cuts-back-intel-sharing-with-united-states-10904432
Comment: "The Netherlands has scaled back some of the information it shares with the U.S., particularly in relation to Russia, the head of the Dutch military intelligence and security service has said."
Comment: "European members of NATO have long leaned heavily on the U.S. to prop up their defenses, letting their own military spending lapse. But the Trump administration has been clear in its intention to pull back from Europe, while establishing fresh dialogue between the White House and the Kremlin. Despite Trump's publicly-expressed frustration with Russia's refusal to ink a deal to end the war in Ukraine, the Republican has largely dodged slapping Moscow with punishing sanctions or lancing Russian President Vladimir Putin with the brand of personal insults he is known for."
Comment: Clearly the Dutch no longer trust Trump, when it comes to their intelligence on Russia.
Comment: "Concerns swirled earlier this year over the future fate of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, the Anglophone collective led by the U.S. with NATO allies Canada and the U.K., plus Australia and New Zealand. Some observers wondered whether the U.S. would stymie what it shares with allies, or whether the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand could deem the U.S. an untrustworthy confidant and limit the intelligence they passed on to Washington."
The Guardian: European leaders near deal to use frozen Russian assets for Ukraine
Comment: "European leaders, including in the UK, are increasingly confident a proposal to lend Ukraine €140bn (£122bn) secured on frozen Russian central bank deposits can be agreed by the end of the year, in a move deemed critical for Kyiv to maintain its defence effort."
"Proposals from the European Commission were discussed at a meeting of G7 finance ministers in Washington last week and will be debated at an EU leaders summit on Thursday in Brussels. US participation remains uncertain."
"Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, said last week he believed 'the issue of the use, on behalf of the victim of aggression, of the frozen Russian assets is heading towards a happy resolution'."
"He said an agreement was achievable by the end of the year: 'It’s very simple, either we use the aggressor’s money or we will have to use our own money. Don’t ask me which I prefer.' "
Iran says cooperation deal with UN nuclear watchdog is void | Reuters
Comment: "Iran has scrapped a cooperation deal that it signed with the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA in September, its Supreme National Security Council Secretary said on Monday, according to state media."
"The statement came around three weeks after Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, said Tehran would scrap the agreement, which let the IAEA resume inspections of its nuclear sites, if Western powers reinstated U.N. sanctions."
"Those were reinstated last month."
"The confirmation will be a setback for the International Atomic Energy Agency which has been trying to rebuild cooperation with Tehran since Israel and the United States bombed the nuclear sites in June."
Military.com: What U.S. Forces Face as Venezuela Puts Russian-Armed Military on Wartime Alert
Trump says US will increase tariffs on Colombia as drug trade feud escalates
Trump escalates back-and-forth with Colombia’s president, announcing end of US payments to country | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/19/politics/colombia-trump-petro-subsidies
Trump ends aid to Colombia and calls country's leader a 'drug leader'
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn8xg1jve73o
Comment: "President Donald Trump said the US will no longer offer subsidies to Colombia, one of the country's closest South American allies."
"The US president announced the decision in a Truth Social post on Sunday, labelling Colombia's President Gustavo Petro as 'an illegal drug leader' who has 'strongly encouraging the massive production of drugs, in big and small fields, all over Colombia'."
"His comments come after Petro accused the US of committing 'murder' when it carried out a military strike on a boat in Colombian territorial waters in September."
"The move is the latest in a string of escalating tensions between the US and countries in Latin America, as the US military continues to strike ships in the Caribbean Sea it alleges carry drugs."
"Trump said because the US offers 'large scale payments and subsidies' and Petro 'does nothing' to stop the drug production, the US will no longer offer 'payment or subsidies' to Colombia. According to a government website, the US provided over $740m (£551m) in aid to Colombia in 2023. It is unclear if all of that aid will stop, or when."
"In September, for the first time since 1996, the US declared that Colombia had failed to uphold its drug trafficking promises, and is ineligible for aid as defined in the Foreign Assistance Act. But the state department included a waiver that allowed Colombia to continue to receive aid."
"But following Petro's recent accusation of Americans committing 'murder', Trump has escalated matters and says he will halt aid."
"Under Petro, cocaine production has reached a record-level and the country has failed to reach its coca eradication goals, the state department said in September."
Comment: Does Trump have any evidence or is he just responding to "Petro's recent accusation of Americans committing 'murder'? Under normal administrations, U.S. citizens would trust the word of their President. However, Trump has told so many lies, his credibility on this subject is questionable.
Israel says it will return to ceasefire after Gaza strikes
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2elr16jjqo
Israel resumes ceasefire in Gaza and says aid deliveries will restart Monday
Comment: "Gaza’s fragile ceasefire faced its first major test Sunday as Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers, and an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory was halted."
"The military later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire, and the official confirmed that aid deliveries would resume Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he’s not authorized to discuss the issue with the media."
Comment: "Health officials said at least 36 Palestinians were killed across Gaza, including children. Israel’s military said it struck dozens of Hamas targets after its troops came under fire."
"A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations said 'round-the-clock' contacts were underway to de-escalate the situation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to reporters."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take 'strong action' against any ceasefire violations but didn’t threaten to return to war."
Israel strikes Gaza as both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of breaching ceasefire
With a phone call, Putin appears to change Trump’s mind on Ukraine. Again.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/10/18/russia-putin-trump-ukraine-phone/
Comment: "It was the latest swing in Trump’s position on the war that often shifts following contact with Putin, who has shown skill in influencing the U.S. president."
CNN: Trump and Maduro are both amassing military forces as tensions build in the Caribbean
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/18/politics/trump-maduro-tensions-venezuela-military
Video: Trump Reveals Putin’s Reaction to Tomahawk Joke During Ukraine Peace Call: “He Didn’t Like It!” |APT - October 17, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG6-Ko4-rtY
Comment: Certainly glad Trump can joke around with his buddy Putin [sarcasm added]
Video: President Trump resists Ukraine’s request for Tomahawk missiles in White House meeting - October 17, 2025
Trump’s Venezuela moves recall the CIA’s history in Latin America | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/17/politics/cia-venezuela-trump-castro-noriega-analysis
Eleven killed after Israel hits bus in Gaza, Hamas-run civil defence says
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpv1nk7dy4yo
Comment: "Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence says 11 people were killed, all from the same family, after the bus they were in was hit by an Israeli tank shell in northern Gaza."
Comment: "This is the deadliest single incident involving Israeli soldiers in Gaza since the start of the ceasefire eight days ago."
"The Israeli military said soldiers had fired at a 'suspicious vehicle' that had crossed the so-called yellow line demarcating the area still occupied by Israeli forces in Gaza."
"Israeli soldiers continue to operate in more than half of the Gaza Strip, under the terms of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement."
Comment: "With limited internet access, many Palestinians do not know the position of Israeli troops as the yellow demarcation line is not physically marked, and it is unclear if the area where the bus was travelling did cross it."
Bessent says US bought pesos again, currency slips | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/bessent-says-us-bought-pesos-again-currency-dips-2025-10-17/
Comment: "The U.S. Treasury bought Argentine pesos in the spot and 'Blue Chip Swap' markets on Thursday and it continues to monitor all markets, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday.
Comment: "It was the first announcement of participation in the 'blue-chip' market, after Bessent previously spoke of buying pesos in the spot market. The pledged U.S. support also includes a $20 billion swap with the Argentine central bank and the workings of a $20 billion facility to invest in the South American country's sovereign debt."
" 'We think the support from the U.S. Treasury is helping stabilize markets,' said Nigel Chalk, deputy director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund in a press briefing."
"The U.S. Treasury has not disclosed how much it has spent purchasing pesos or whether it will do it on a schedule."
Comment: Your tax dollars propping up a Trump ally in Argentina, to the tune of up to $40 billion so far?
US is working on doubling aid to Argentina to $40 billion by tapping private funding sources
Comment: "The Trump administration is looking to provide an additional $20 billion in financing for Argentina through a mix of financing from sovereign funds and the private sector."
"That would come on top of the $20 billion credit swap line that the U.S. Treasury pledged to Argentine President Javier Milei and his government this month to bolster the South American nation’s collapsing currency."
" 'We are working on a $20 billion facility that would complement our swap line, with private banks and sovereign funds that, I believe, would be more focused on the debt market,' Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday. He called it 'a private-sector solution' and said 'many banks are interested in it and many sovereign funds have expressed interest.' "
"At a White House meeting Tuesday with Milei, Republican President Donald Trump said his administration wanted to help 'our neighbors' with the aid package, but he also suggested that the money could be pulled if Milei’s party did not prevail in the Oct. 26 midterm elections."
" 'If he loses, we are not going to be generous with Argentina,' Trump said."
Comment: So, the U.S. government has provided a loan guarantee of $20 billion and is now trying to arrange another $20 billion of private financing to prop up a 'collapsing' Argentine peso and Trump's buddy Javier Milei.
Comment: Note that Trump's intent is to prop up Milei and, not necessarily, Argentina. If Milei is defeated, Trumps threatens to cancel the deal. Trump's risking taxpayer dollars to prop up his friend, not to stabilize the economy of Argentina.
Comment: Many in Argentina are angry at Trump's obvious attempts to influence Argentine elections.
Comment: Many in the U.S. are angry at Trump as he significantly risks $ billions that could be better spent at home.
Video: Trump says he plans to meet with Putin in Hungary - October 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNXSvCBkz-Y
Video: Top military commander overseeing Caribbean boat strikes to step down - October 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCz4acKPXTE
The New York Times: Military Commander Overseeing Escalating Attacks Off Venezuela Coast Is Stepping Down, Officials Say
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/16/us/politics/southern-command-head-stepping-down.html
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: B-52s fly off coast of Venezuela in show of force by Trump
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/52s-fly-off-coast-venezuela-show-force-trump/story?id=126589822
U.S. will 'neither be commanded nor controlled' by China, Bessent says as trade standoff deepens
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-trade-china-bessent-rare-earth-rcna237786
Comment: That's Big Talk from Bessent, but:
Comment: "Beijing has yet to approve the sale of TikTok U.S., increase soybean purchases or ease export controls, despite several rounds of U.S. trade talks."
Comment: "The remarks were the latest sign that the U.S.-China trade relationship continues to deteriorate after Beijing’s surprise announcement Thursday of new limits on rare-earth minerals and related technologies."
"In response, President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on China, as well as export controls on 'any and all critical software'.”
"The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the export controls were consistent with international practice and had been implemented 'to better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations'."
" 'China’s position has been consistent and clear. It is the U.S. who asks for talks while threatening high tariffs and new restrictions,' spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. 'This is not the right way to deal with China.' ”
"The only way China can avoid the new tariffs, Greer told NBC News, is to drop the proposed export controls."
"Bessent and Greer were cautiously optimistic that Beijing would back down and return to the negotiating table."
" 'Our expectation is that they won’t implement [the controls] and that we’ll be able to be back to where we were a week ago,' Greer said, 'where we had the tariff levels we’ve agreed to and we have the flow of rare-earth magnets we agreed to.' "
"In the meantime, Bessent said, Washington is conferring with its allied trade partners about a unified response to the restrictions. 'This is China vs. the world,' he said. 'We and our allies will neither be commanded, nor controlled.' ”
Comment: There seems to be a great deal of posturing on both sides. But the real question is, who has the best negotiating position? Please consider the following:
Comment: "Rare-earth minerals are critical to manufacturing a wide variety of products, such as batteries, electric vehicles, household goods, TVs and smartphones and solar panels."
"After three rounds of what the officials called successful trade talks, China also has yet to officially approve the sale of TikTok U.S. and has not bought any soybeans from American farmers since May."
"Nonetheless, Greer and Bessent said the current 90-day pause on tariffs with China — renewed at least three times so far — could be re-upped again for a longer interval if China lifts the rare-earths restrictions."
The New York Times: Trump Administration Authorizes Covert C.I.A. Action in Venezuela
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/us/politics/trump-covert-cia-action-venezuela.html
Comment: "The Trump administration has secretly authorized the C.I.A. to conduct covert action in Venezuela, according to U.S. officials, stepping up a campaign against Nicolás Maduro, the country’s authoritarian leader."
Comment: "The authorization is the latest step in the Trump administration’s intensifying pressure campaign against Venezuela. For weeks, the U.S. military has been targeting boats off the Venezuelan coast it says are transporting drugs, killing 27 people. American officials have been clear, privately, that the end goal is to drive Mr. Maduro from power."
Comment: "Mr. Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that he had authorized the covert action and said the United States was considering strikes on Venezuelan territory."
" 'We are certainly looking at land now, because we’ve got the sea very well under control,' the president told reporters hours after The New York Times reported the secret authorization."
"Any strikes on Venezuelan territory would be a significant escalation. After several of the boat strikes, the administration made the point that the operations had taken place in international waters."
"The new authority would allow the C.I.A. to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela and conduct a range of operations in the Caribbean."
"The agency would be able to take covert action against Mr. Maduro or his government either unilaterally or in conjunction with a larger military operation. It is not known whether the C.I.A. is planning any specific operations in Venezuela."
"But the development comes as the U.S. military is planning its own possible escalation, drawing up options for President Trump to consider, including strikes inside Venezuela."
CBS News: Hamas says it has handed over all Israeli hostage remains it could recover
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hamas-says-handed-over-all-israeli-hostage-remains-it-could-recover/
Hamas hands over hostage bodies after Israel threatens aid cut
Comment: "Hamas handed over more bodies of deceased hostages to Israel on Tuesday, one sign of progress after a number of apparent setbacks in the day since U.S. President Donald Trump touted his plan to end the Gaza war."
"The bodies were returned after Israel announced it would cut in half the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into Gaza in a move to punish Hamas for what Israel called the militant group's violation of its agreement to transfer remains under the ceasefire deal reached last week."
"Meanwhile, re-emergent Hamas fighters demonstrated they were reasserting control in Gaza by deploying hundreds of security forces in the streets and executing several people they accused of collaborating with Israel."
"The outlook for Trump's peace plan darkened further when the president threatened Hamas with military strikes unless the militant group disarmed."
" 'If they don't disarm, we will disarm them. And it will happen quickly and perhaps violently,' Trump said at the White House, one day after he spoke before the Knesset in Jerusalem."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has maintained the war cannot end until Hamas surrenders its weapons and cedes control of Gaza, a demand the fighters have rejected."
Newsweek: IDF Fires at Gazans ‘Who Crossed the Yellow Line’ During Ceasefire
https://www.newsweek.com/idf-gaza-israel-hamas-ceasefire-trump-yellow-line-10875744
Comment: "The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it had opened fire on a group of people who it claimed had approached them in northern Gaza on Tuesday in violation of the ceasefire agreement."
Comment: "The ceasefire marks the most significant effort yet toward a lasting agreement, after earlier deals yielded only temporary ceasefires. Any violence is bound to raise fears of it collapsing and will test the durability of the ceasefire and, ultimately, the viability of Trump's plan."
"The firing highlights the tense and fragile nature of the ceasefire deal, which is part of U.S. President Donald Trump's historic 20-point peace plan for Gaza and the Middle East."
Reuters: Israel says it opens fire on suspects in Gaza, local authorities report six killed
Comment: Sounds like a shaky start to the "ceasefire" and Trump's promised peace process.
The Hill: The Gaza agreement is only step one
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/5550389-fragile-hamas-israel-agreement/
The Guardian: Trump plan to invite Netanyahu to Gaza summit aborted after Erdoğan warning
Comment: "Turkish president threatens to pull out of Sharm el-Sheikh conference unless Israeli PM’s attendance ruled out"
Comment: "A last-minute plan by Donald Trump to invite Benjamin Netanyahu to a multinational Gaza summit in Egypt had to be aborted after the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said he would not land his plane in Sharm el-Sheikh if the invitation stood."
Comment: "It is not clear if Erdoğan’s refusal to land for the summit was the cause of Netanyahu changing his plans, but it is known that he spoke to Sisi to raise his objections from his plane above Egypt."
Comment: "A statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office said: 'Prime Minister Netanyahu was invited by US President Trump to participate in a conference taking place today in Egypt. The prime minister thanked President Trump for his invitation but stated that he would not be able to attend due to the proximity of the event to the start of the holiday.' "
"Figures on the extreme right in Netanyahu’s coalition government had also threatened to resign if he went to the conference."
"International criminal court arrest warrants have been issued against Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and while Egypt is not a signatory to the court, his presence at the summit would have been contentious, including among those Arab states that have not normalised relations with Israel. More than 20 world leaders were due to attend the hastily arranged summit."
"The row about Netanyahu’s presence shows how hard it will be for some Muslim countries to normalise relations with Israel in the way Trump wants."
"Pictures of Erdoğan negotiating with Netanyahu or shaking hands with the Israeli leader would have been disastrous for the Turkish leader domestically, and would have also led to questions about Ankara’s planned role in the international stabilisation force that is due to look after security in Gaza. Erdoğan has repeatedly called Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide."
CNN: Live updates: All living hostages freed from Gaza as Trump to address Israeli parliament
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-hostages-ceasefire-10-13-25
CNN: Hamas asserts control in Gaza and targets alleged collaborators as ceasefire takes hold
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/12/middleeast/gaza-hamas-security-war-intl
Fortune: U.S. troops are going to Israel to support the Gaza ceasefire, but JD Vance vows no 'boots on the ground'
Reuters: Kremlin warns the West over 'dramatic' escalation moment in Ukraine war
Comment: "The Kremlin said on Sunday Russia was deeply concerned about the possibility of the U.S. supplying Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, warning that the war had reached a dramatic moment with escalation from all sides."
"U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that before agreeing to provide Tomahawks, he would want to know what Ukraine planned to do with them because he did not want to escalate the war between Russia and Ukraine. He said, however, that he had 'sort of made a decision' on the matter."
CBS News: China's capacity to hack the U.S. is growing, former NSA head says. Here's what they're targeting and why.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-china-targets-us-systems-tim-haugh-60-minutes/
China ‘not afraid of trade war,’ accuses U.S. of ‘double standard’ for rare earths retaliation
Beijing blames US for raising trade tensions, defends rare earth curbs
NBC News: North Korea displays new long-range ICBM at a military parade celebrating Kim Jong Un
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/north-korea/north-korea-long-range-missile-military-parade-rcna237012
AP News: China hits US ships with retaliatory port fees before trade talks
https://apnews.com/article/china-us-port-fees-a67996522d4705e663e37515fa45baf5
Comment: "China has hit U.S.-owned vessels docking in the country with tit-for-tat port fees, in response to the American government’s planned port fees on Chinese ships, expanding a string of retaliatory measures before trade talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping."
"Vessels owned or operated by American companies or individuals, and ships built in the U.S. or flying the American flag, would be subjected to a 400 yuan ($56) per net ton fee per voyage if they dock in China, China’s Ministry of Transport said on Friday."
"The fees would be applied on the same ship for a maximum of five voyages each year, and would rise every year until 2028, when it would hike to 1,120 yuan ($157) per net ton, the ministry said. They would take effect on Oct. 14, the same day when the United States is due to start imposing port fees on Chinese vessels."
Israel awaits the release of hostages, as Palestinians return to the ruins of their homes
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/israel-hamas-peace-deal-live-updates-gaza-ceasefire-day-1/
‘America First?’: Stephanie Ruhle slams Trump’s $20 billion Argentina bailout
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/america-first-trump-argentina-bailout-shutdown-rcna236938
Comment: "'If Argentina does default,' Ruhle explained, 'it is a $20 billion loss for us. The Fed will be left holding a ginormous bag of pesos worth nothing.' "
Comment: Can you think of places that $20 billion could be spent to better serve citizens in our country?
The Hill: Jordan’s economy is on the brink of collapse — here’s how the US can help
Trump’s peace plan comes with some major sticking points
https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/trumps-peace-plan-major-sticking-points-rcna236722
Comment: "Israel and Hamas may have agreed to the first phase of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, but major hurdles remain to permanently end the hostilities that have caused chaos, death and devastation for more than two years in the region."
"Several elements of the president’s multipronged road map conflict with Hamas’ interests, including a call for the U.S.-designated terrorist group to disarm and for Gaza to be temporarily governed by a Trump-led council of nations. There’s also questions about the structure and logistics of an international peacekeeping force that would be deployed to Gaza."
Comment: There is much more important discussion in this linked article.
What does wording of Gaza ceasefire agreement tell us?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgyr8e0gl2o
Comment: "A ceasefire has come into effect for the war in Gaza, after the Israeli government approved a US-brokered deal with Hamas in negotiations that had the personal involvement of US President Donald Trump."
"The full text of the agreement has not been made public - but part of it has been published by Israeli media."
"It appears to lack details and in some cases is vague and ambiguous - perhaps on purpose."
"Even its title, 'Implementation steps for President Trump's proposal for a comprehensive end of Gaza War', leaves room for different interpretations."
Comment: "This paragraph explicitly says the war is over, which sets the scene for future discussions on later stages of the president's plan for Gaza. It appears to suggest that, even if the negotiations reach an impasse, hostilities will not resume."
"This is crucial as key sticking points remain, including the Israeli demand for Hamas to disarm, the scale of the Israeli withdrawal, and a plan for who will govern the territory. The document does not mention guarantees that could have been given that the conflict will not restart, or what could happen if either side returns to fighting."
"Speaking after the deal was reached, Hamas's exiled Gaza leader, Khalil Al-Hayya, said he had received assurances from the US and other mediators that the war had ended."
"Meanwhile, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly said that the conflict is over. Following the approval of the deal by the Israeli government, Netanyahu released a video in which he appeared to threaten to use force if Israel's demands, including Hamas's disarmament, were not met. 'If this is achieved in the easy way, it's all for the better. And if not, it'll be achieved the hard way,' he said."
"The document does not mention the next steps for the full implementation of Trump's plan."
"This appears to leave room for a return of Israeli troops to areas they had withdrawn from if Hamas is seen as not being fully compliant with the deal. It provides no details about what could constitute a violation."
"And the text does not explicitly rule out air strikes. Prior to the deal, Hamas officials were concerned that there would be a situation like the one in Lebanon, where a ceasefire deal has not prevented near-daily air strikes on people and targets Israel says are linked to Hezbollah, the Shia militia and political movement. The Lebanese government says Israel's actions are violations of the deal, which was also brokered with US help."
Comment: "The first phase of the president's plan was, perhaps, the easiest one. Netanyahu was also facing growing domestic pressure, with polls consistently suggesting that the vast majority of Israelis wanted a deal with Hamas and the end of the war. Hamas, meanwhile, was apparently convinced that keeping the hostages had become a burden, giving Israel a reason to continue fighting."
Comment: "What happens next, however, is not clear. Progress will only happen if the Trump administration remains engaged, as both Israel and Hamas have reasons to stall the process. There is momentum, but major obstacles remain."
Comment: Despite the lengthy comments, the linked article should be read in its entirety for full understanding of the issues.
Video: Israel-Hamas ceasefire goes into effect - October 10, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mR-d4-XeVY
Video: Trump provides new details on Gaza peace deal - October 9, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdbaMQSyPkA
Comment: Phase 1 looks promising, But the success of Phase 2 is highly questionable.
The Guardian: Norway braces for Trump’s reaction if he does not win Nobel peace prize
Comment: "US president may impose tariffs, demand higher Nato contributions or even declare Norway an enemy, analyst says"
Comment: "Taking into account the timeframe and the composition of the independent five-person committee, most Nobel experts and Norwegian observers believe it is highly unlikely that Trump will be awarded the prize, leading to fears in the country over how he will react to being overlooked so publicly."
Comment: " 'The Nobel Committee is an independent body and the Norwegian government has no involvement in determining the prizes. But I’m not sure Trump knows that. We have to be prepared for anything from him.' ”
"Trump has long been outspoken about his belief that he should be awarded the peace prize, an honour previously bestowed on one of his presidential predecessors, Barack Obama, in 2009 for his 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples'."
"In July, Trump reportedly called Jens Stoltenberg, Norway’s finance minister and the former Nato secretary general, to ask about the Nobel prize. At the UN last month, Trump falsely claimed that he had halted seven 'unendable wars', telling world leaders: 'Everyone says I should get the Nobel peace prize.' "
Comment: Trump's vanity and narcissism is an embarrassment to our nation. But when an allied nation has to "brace for Trump's reaction," that's a more dangerous situation. It tells us that our allies no longer trust our president's emotional state.
The Hill: US forces to help monitor Middle East peace deal
https://thehill.com/homenews/5548415-us-military-israel-hamas-ceasefire/
Comment: "The U.S. will have roughly 200 military personnel in Israel helping oversee the implementation of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Gaza, a senior U.S. official said Thursday."
Comment: "White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later posted on the social platform X that the U.S. forces involved are already stationed at Centcom."
"A second U.S. official clarified that no U.S. troops are expected to go into Gaza. Officials said they were still working to determine the exact location of their deployment."
"The first U.S. official said Cooper’s role will be to 'oversee, observe, make sure there are no violations, incursions … much of this is going to be oversight.' "
"Within Cooper’s team of 200 people will be members of the Egyptian armed forces, the Qatari armed forces, Turkish forces and the Emirati forces, a U.S. official said."
"The Centcom forces are expected to help establish a joint control center in Israel that will help oversee the implementation of a peace deal that President Trump announced on Wednesday night."
Palestinians begin returning to Gaza's north as Netanyahu thanks Trump for securing ceasefire
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cx2nzlj2j4kt
Video: Donald Trump says Israel and Hamas agree to first phase of Gaza peace plan | BBC News - October 8, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIe3ySnE4Bg
Trump says Hamas faces ‘complete obliteration’ if it insists on staying in power | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/05/politics/trump-gaza-hamas-netanyahu
Trump on Gaza deal push: "I said, Bibi, 'This is your chance for victory'"
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/04/trump-gaza-deal-netanyahu-call
Comment: " 'I said, 'Bibi, this is your chance for victory.' He was fine with it,' Trump told me. 'He's got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine.' "
Comment: Does this mean that Trump finally exerted the U.S.'s leverage on Netanyahu to get him to quit attacking and seriously negotiate? If so, what took so long?
Live updates: Trump tells Israel to stop bombing Gaza as Hamas agrees to negotiate release of hostages | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/israel-gaza-hamas-trump-10-04-25
Trump sent Lebanon $230 million before government shutdown
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5536635-trump-administration-funds-lebanon/
Comment: "The Trump administration sent $230 million to Lebanon in a last-minute action to save the funds from expiring during a government shutdown, assistance that helps protect a fragile ceasefire between Beirut and Israel."
"The funds are aimed at strengthening the Lebanese military in its push to disarm Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed political and military force severely weakened by Israeli actions, but not fully defeated."
Comment: At least, the Lebanese troops are being paid, because U.S. troops are not, due to Republican unwillingness to negotiate an end to the government shutdown.
Hegseth announces another US attack on alleged drug boat off Venezuelan coast - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/US/hegseth-announces-us-attack-alleged-drug-boat-off/story?id=126188707
Trump signs an executive order vowing to defend Qatar in the wake of Israel’s strike
https://apnews.com/article/us-qatar-security-trump-israel-hamas-de391ae9bded58bffb1f5b69777f35cf
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order vowing to use all measures including U.S. military action to defend the energy-rich nation of Qatar — though it remains unclear just what weight the pledge will carry."
Comment: " 'The United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure of the state of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States,' the order says."
" 'In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the state of Qatar and to restore peace and stability.' ”
Comment: Did Trump just agree to the possibility of attacking Israel, if Israel strikes Qatar, as it recently did? How many of you think Trump would ever attack Israel, no matter who Israel attacked?
Whitmer warns Trump’s tariffs risk handing China an edge
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/01/gretchen-whitmer-trump-tariffs-china-00590280
Comment: "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is warning that Donald Trump’s tariffs against U.S. allies will leave just one winner — China."
" 'Right now, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot with a chaotic national tariff policy,' the Democratic governor told a business audience in Canada’s biggest city on Wednesday, questioning the logic of the Trump administration’s decision to slap duties on nearly every country."
Comment: "The Michigan governor used the speech hosted by the Empire Club of Canada to praise the U.S.-Canada relationship, entire American and Canadian communities bound by an integrated auto industry and anchored by tens of billions in cross-border investments."
"The tone and 'insults' coming out of Washington targeting Canada are 'not just unwise and unnecessary, but also unjustified or unproductive,' Whitmer said, sympathizing with the Canadian audience."
CNN: Trump announced his 20-point Gaza peace plan. What comes next?
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/30/middleeast/trump-gaza-plan-what-comes-next-intl
5 takeaways from the U.S. ceasefire proposal for Israel and Hamas
Comment: The 5 takeaways are listed below, with explanation and detail found in the linked article:
Comment: "The plan calls for an immediate end to the war and the return of hostages"
Comment: "This is the most serious effort yet to end the Gaza war, with broad Arab backing"
Comment: "Netanyahu is selling the plan as an Israeli security win, leaving troops in Gaza indefinitely"
Comment: "Hamas will find it difficult to accept the deal's conditions, but will pay a heavy cost if it rejects"
Comment: "The plan could still fall apart"
Postwar Gaza authority potentially led by Tony Blair ‘would sideline Palestinians’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/29/postwar-gaza-authority-gita-tony-blair
Comment: "Draft plan’s critics say it hands power to international figures and splits Gaza from Palestinian Authority in West Bank"
Comment: "A plan for a postwar Gaza governing authority potentially headed by the former UK prime minister Tony Blair would sideline key Palestinian political figures, while giving significant authority to its chair on most key issues, according to a leaked confidential proposal."
Comment: "The 21-page draft document, seen by the Guardian and Haaretz in Israel, envisions the governance and reconstruction of postwar Gaza being led by international officials, with Palestinians relegated to subsidiary roles. It also proposes a Gaza investment promotion and economic development authority involving 'public-private partnerships and blended finance instruments' aimed at delivering 'commercially viable returns' for investors."
"The administration of Gaza would also split off from the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. The Guardian has confirmed the document – labelled confidential – is genuine and was drawn up in the last fortnight."
"No Palestinian figures are mentioned by name in the document but it lists several prominent outsiders for potential roles, including the Egyptian billionaire Naguib Sawiris, Marc Rowan of Apollo Global Management, and Aryeh Lightstone of the Abraham Peace Accords Institute, a former senior adviser to Donald Trump’s first ambassador to Israel, David Friedman."
"Sources close to those behind the document suggested that the names had been included for illustrative purposes without the individuals’ permissions."
"The draft for the so-called Gaza International Transitional Authority (Gita) puts substantial flesh on reporting of the ideas that Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are reported to have been circulating, including that Blair 'wants' the role of running Gaza."
"Palestinian critics who have seen the proposal – and who have long viewed Blair with suspicion – warned that Gita would be a 'disaster' for Palestine, creating an alternative jurisdiction in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank."
Comment: To put the preceding comments in perspective, please read the entire linked article.
Comment: It is difficult to evaluate what is going on in discussions about Gaza's future. However, does this confidential plan smell just a little bit like a crooked land deal for valuable Gaza beachfront on the Mediterranean?
Netanyahu endorses Trump plan to end Gaza war
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/gaza-peace-deal-trump-netanyahu-meeting
Comment: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported President Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza during a press conference at the White House on Monday, with both leaders saying it was now up to Hamas to agree."
Comment: " 'If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi you will have our full backing to do what you have to do,' Trump said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname."
Comment: "An updated peace plan released by the White House on Monday mentions a technocratic government made up of Palestinians, to be supervised by a 'board of peace' led by Trump and including former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair."
"Longer term, the plan envisions the Palestinian Authority taking control of Gaza and leaves open the possibility of a Palestinian state. Trump noted during the press conference that Netanyahu had been 'clear about his opposition to a Palestinian state.' "
"Both Israel and Arab countries have been seeking changes to the text over the last several days, with issues like the demilitarization of Hamas and the involvement of the PA in the future governance of Gaza as sticking points."
"It's not clear whether those negotiations have actually concluded or whether what Netanyahu thinks he agreed to fully matches what the Arab states support — let alone Hamas."
Comment: "Netanyahu said Israel would only be required to make a 'modest withdrawal' after the deal is signed before all remaining hostages would be released."
"If Hamas does not agree to the deal or fails to implement it, 'we will finish the job,' he said."
Comment: "Netanyahu called Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Monday during his meeting with Trump and apologized for violating Qatari sovereignty in Israel's recent strike on Doha, a source familiar told Axios."
"An Israeli apology over the strike was a key Qatari condition for resuming its mediation with Hamas. Trump held a call with the emir of Qatar before Netanyahu's arrival at the White House."
Comment: "Many in the White House have seen Netanyahu up to now as the biggest barrier to peace in Gaza."
Comment: "U.S. officials claimed Trump was prepared to publicly break with Netanyahu over Gaza if he didn't endorse the plan."
Comment: It sounds like Trump decided to finally decided to exercise the leverage he had over Israel. However, it is likely that Netanyahu is calculating that Hamas will reject the deal or do something that will negate it, thereby, allowing Netanyahu to militarily destroy the rest of Gaza and kick out its inhabitants. In other words, 'to finish the job'."
An Entire Generation of Americans is Turning on Israel - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/09/29/us-israel-relations-youth-00578109
Comment: "Young people — on the left and right — are growing increasingly skeptical of Israel."
Comment: " 'They had total control over Congress, and now they don’t,' Trump told the Daily Caller in an interview published earlier this month, referring to Israel. 'They’re gonna have to get that war over with. … They may be winning the war, but they’re not winning the world of public relations, you know, and it is hurting them. ' ”
"Trump’s not wrong about Israel’s increasingly tattered international reputation. In just the last few days, Canada, the U.K. and Australia became the newest countries to recognize the state of Palestine. The U.S.-Israel relationship is also facing more scrutiny than ever before, with a rising number of lawmakers who once jostled to portray themselves as staunchly pro-Israel growing deeply critical. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest moves to launch a ground offensive in Gaza City, target Hamas leaders in Doha and deny evidence of widespread famine in the besieged strip are only further fueling the uproar."
"Despite all that, the reality is that little is likely to change in Washington, at least for now. Congress is expected to keep greenlighting U.S. weapons for Israel and the Trump administration will almost certainly back even the country’s most audacious actions, or at least do nothing to pressure them to stop. (Trump has promised Arab and Muslim leaders he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank, though it is unclear what pressure he will apply to do so.)"
"But that won’t last forever. Public polling makes clear that generational change is coming that is set to reshape U.S. policy toward Israel in fundamental ways. On both the left and the right, young Americans are growing more skeptical of offering unconditional U.S. support to Israel, particularly as the death toll in Gaza rises and the possibility of Palestinian statehood dims."
"At the same time, younger Israelis are veering hard to the right, becoming more nationalist and religious and less sympathetic to the Palestinians, a shift that will create more tension in the U.S.-Israel relationship in the years to come. A collision looks unavoidable."
Scoop: Netanyahu apologizes to Qatar for violating sovereignty with airstrike
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/israel-apologize-qatar-airstrike-netanyahu-trump
U.S. preparing options for military strikes on drug targets inside Venezuela, sources say
Comment: "U.S. military officials are drawing up options to target drug traffickers inside Venezuela, and strikes within that country’s borders could potentially begin in a matter of weeks, four sources told NBC News."
Comment: "Striking inside Venezuela would be another escalation in the Trump administration’s military campaign against alleged drug targets and its stance toward Venezuela’s government."
Comment: "The plans being discussed primarily focus on drone strikes against drug trafficking groups’ members and leadership, as well as targeting drug labs, the four sources said."
Comment: "Some Trump administration officials are disappointed that the United States’ military escalation does not appear to have weakened Maduro’s grip on power or prompted any significant response, the official familiar with the discussions said. The White House has faced more pushback on the strikes against the drug boats than it anticipated, prompting the administration to think carefully about next steps, the official familiar with the discussions said."
"That includes discussions between the U.S. and Venezuela through Middle Eastern leaders serving as intermediaries, NBC News has learned. According to a senior administration official, Maduro has spoken to those intermediaries about concessions he would be willing to make to remain in power. The senior administration official would not specify which countries are acting as intermediaries beyond saying that they are allies."
Video: Analyzing Trump's shift in tone on Russia, Ukraine - September 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CiphczMyEA
Comment: Although Trump will sell weapons to Europe that they can then give to Ukraine, Trump has not promised any direct military weapon support to Ukraine.
North Korea Close to Finishing Missile Able to Strike US, South Korea says
https://www.newsweek.com/north-korea-close-to-finishing-missile-able-to-strike-us-10786602
Waltz plays catch up at UN General Assembly - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/26/mike-waltz-united-nations-00581753
Comment: "Newly minted U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz is trying to make up for lost time at the world’s largest diplomatic gathering this week as he pushes to recover from the Signalgate scandal and prove himself a loyal member of the Trump administration."
"Waltz was confirmed only three days before the high-level week of the General Assembly started and was presented his credentials Sunday. Since then, he has delivered speeches at U.N. Security Council sessions to issue a stern warning to Russia on its breaches of NATO airspace and argue against recognizing a Palestinian state. He has also attended high-level bilateral meetings alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and been spotted speaking to foreign counterparts between U.N. meetings."
"But Waltz has a particularly difficult road ahead as President Donald Trump’s emissary to the world body. It’s unclear if he has enough clout with the administration to serve as a dependable go-between. And he’s taking on the post as Trump openly insults the U.N. and looks to cut funding to the organization."
Video: Erdogan 'knows about rigged elections better than anybody' — Trump - September 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqvyV2sZy3w
Comment: This is an unusual and undiplomatic statement from Trump. There are two possible interpretations, neither of which are good. Erdogan has been in power in Turkey for some time and there have been serious questions about the fairness of elections that he has won. If one assumes that Erdogan has actually rigged elections, Trump's statement seems to acknowledge his knowledge of it and approval of it. If one assumes that Erdogan has not rigged elections, Trump's statement is a terrible insult to a foreign leader. In either case, Erdogan does not look particularly pleased by Trump's statement.
Netanyahu says Western countries ‘buckled’ in recognizing Palestinian state, as fiery UN speech prompts walkout | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/26/middleeast/netanyahu-un-speech-walkout-latam-intl
Netanyahu faces mass walk-out protest at UN speech
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/26/netanyahu-un-speech-walk-out-protest
Comment: "The vast majority of officials and diplomats in the UN General Assembly Hall appeared to walk out as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the stage for his address on Friday."
Comment: "Israel is deeply isolated internationally as it presses on with the war in Gaza. Outside of President Trump, Netanyahu — who faces war crime charges from the ICC — has very few allies on the global stage."
Comment: "Nearly all representatives from Arab and Muslim countries appeared to walk out, along with counterparts from several African countries and a few European countries."
Comment: "The Trump administration denied Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas a visa to address the UN, but the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to allow him to speak remotely."
Iran and Russia sign $25 billion agreement to build four nuclear power plants in Iran, IRNA says
Comment: "Iran has signed a $25 billion agreement with Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom to build four nuclear power plants in Iran, IRNA news agency said on Friday."
"Rosatom said on Wednesday it signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of small nuclear power plants in Iran, without giving a number."
Comment: Can these small nuclear power plants contribute in any way to a Iranian nuclear weapons program?
Trump hosts Turkey’s Erdogan as the US considers lifting a ban on F-35 sales to the NATO ally
https://apnews.com/article/trump-erdogan-white-house-visit-396fa12409880baa28982d93c73f53f1
Comment: "President Donald Trump held talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday and signaled that the United States might soon lift its hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara."
"During Trump’s first term, the U.S. removed Turkey, a NATO ally, from its flagship F-35 fighter jet program after Turkey purchased an air defense system from Russia. U.S. officials worried that Turkey’s use of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gather data on the capabilities of the F-35 and that the information could end up in Russian hands."
Video: UK Slams Lavrov as He Walks Out of G20 | “Illegal War of Aggression” Sparks Clash at UN | APT - September 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSHKu76Z768
Comment: Video also contains messages from other G20 representatives.
Video: US fighter jets intercept Russian war planes near Alaska airspace - September 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgQKFVSNHRY
Netanyahu takes unusual flight route over Europe amid threat of war crimes arrest | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/25/middleeast/netanyahu-flight-war-crimes-intl
‘Tunnel vision’: how Israel is using archaeology to win US support for goals
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/25/israel-archaeology-jerusalem-history-us
Comment: "When the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, visited Jerusalem this month, the itinerary his Israeli hosts laid on involved more archaeology than anything else. On his first day, Benjamin Netanyahu took Rubio underground to excavations near the Western Wall. On the second day, Israel’s prime minister gave his American visitor the honour of inaugurating a tunnel burrowed under a Palestinian district, along a Roman-era street nicknamed the Pilgrimage Road, in a 'City of David' archaeological park established by an Israeli settler organisation."
"Both events were intended to emphasise Jerusalem’s Jewish roots and its status, Netanyahu stressed, as 'our eternal and undivided capital'."
"While Rubio was on this tour of ancient Jerusalem, Israeli planes bombed the most important storage depot of ancient artefacts in Gaza City, pulverising three decades of archaeological work."
"The battle over history has long been part of the broader Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Officials from the Israel Antiquities Authority have followed Israeli troops into occupied zones in search of artefacts."
"But that struggle has seldom been as conspicuous as in the past month. Rubio’s tour was designed to underline a shared Judeo-Christian history focused on Jerusalem that binds the evangelical base of the Republican party to the state of Israel."
Comment: Mixing religion and politics: a good idea for Israel's interests, but is it a good idea for American foreign policy?
Trump promises Arab, Muslim leaders he won’t let Israel annex the West Bank
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/24/trump-west-bank-annex-00578051
Comment: How much leverage will Trump be willing to exert to control Netanyahu's territorial ambitions?
Trump's Gaza peace plan gets support from regional leaders
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/24/trump-israel-gaza-peace-plan-un
The main principles are:
The release of all remaining hostages.
A permanent ceasefire.
Gradual Israeli withdrawal from all of the Gaza Strip.
A post-war plan that includes a governing mechanism in Gaza without Hamas.
A security force that would include Palestinians but also soldiers from Arab and Muslim countries.
Funding from Arab and Muslim countries for the new administration in Gaza and for reconstruction of the enclave.
Some involvement of the Palestinian Authority."
Comment: "The meeting was attended by leaders and senior officials from Saudi Arabia, The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan. According to two sources, the Arab leaders presented Trump with several conditions for supporting his plan:
Israel will not annex parts of the West Bank or Gaza.
Israel will not occupy parts of Gaza.
Israel will not build settlements in Gaza.
Israel will stop undermining the status quo at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Humanitarian aid to Gaza will immediately increase."
Comment: "Trump made it clear to the Arab and Muslim leaders that he would not allow Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, two sources said."
Comment: Although the devil's in the details, if the Arab's concerns can be addressed, this framework seems to offer a good plan for Gaza. Wonder what Israel's reaction will be?
Russia will expand aggression beyond Ukraine if not stopped, Zelensky warns
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yg921rjrko
The Guardian: Trump’s UN speech makes it clear: the world can no longer look to the US for strong leadership
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/24/trump-un-general-assembly-speech-analysis
Comment: "Before Trump’s extraordinary 58 minute speech on the supposed threats posed by open borders, sharia law, the UN's failings and the 'climate hoax', the supporters of the UN’s values already knew they faced a challenge. Now they realise the degree to which the world’s superpower seems bent on the destruction of everything they believe."
"Immediately after the shocked, and even embarrassed, UN delegates had recovered from Trump’s performance, the general assembly was addressed by leaders of two large Muslim states, the Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto and the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Subianto was strongly applauded when he asserted: 'Might cannot be right; right must be right. No one country can bully the whole of the human family. We may be weak individually, but the sense of oppression and injustice will unite us into a strong force that will overcome this injustice.' Erdoğan insisted that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was completely out of control, and those that were silent in the face of his barbarity were complicit."
"And immediately prior to Trump’s address, the Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, without mentioning the US, had given a sophisticated warning about the threat posed by the new authoritarians. 'Today the ideals that inspired the UN’s founders in San Francisco are under threat as never before in their history. Multilateralism is at a new crossroads. This organisation’s authority is in check. We are witnessing the constellation of an international order marked by repeated concessions to power play. Attacks on sovereignty, arbitrary sanctions and unilateral interventions are becoming the rule.' "
"Others such as South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, insisted that the climate crisis was far from being a hoax, it represents a threat to global humanity."
Brazil’s president says in UN speech that democracy can prevail over ‘would-be autocrats’ | Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/23/brazil-president-lula-un-speech
Comment: "South American leftist Lula takes indirect swipes at Trump in speech and warns that global threat of ‘anti-democratic forces’ persists"
Video: Trump delivers 'bonkers', 'tone deaf' rant to United Nations - September 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuoIN1WynN8
Comment: Important. Please Watch!
CNN: Fact check: Trump litters UN speech with false claims about climate, inflation, immigration and world peace
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/politics/fact-check-un-speech-claims-trump
Trump’s UN speech: Five takeaways from the yearly foreign policy address | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/23/politics/takeaways-trump-un-speech
Trump criticizes U.N. for failing to end wars and address immigration concerns
Comment: "President Donald Trump delivered a critical address to the United Nations General Assembly, charging the institution with failing to act to solve spiraling conflicts and immigration woes and deriding its 'empty words' that don’t solve war'.”
" 'All they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter,' he said, touting his own peacemaking efforts at a moment of heightened strain with U.S. allies over Palestinian statehood, trade and other flash points."
"Trump also called climate change concerns a 'con job,' saying that international agreements to reduce global warming were 'destroying' much of the free world with demands that industrialized nations disrupt their societies even as the developing ones continue to defy the rules."
"Instead, the president urged the nations before him to forge a new path in partnership with Washington, saying he believed the organization 'has tremendous potential,' while touting his own successes and sharply criticizing many of theirs."
" 'I’m really good at this stuff,' the president said. 'Your countries are going to hell.' "
Comment: "While his relationships with many foreign leaders have improved this time around, Trump has not shied from envisioning an expansionary image of American strength while imposing punishing tariffs on friends and foes alike. Some of those tariffs, Trump said, were a retaliatory effort. "
" 'We are hitting them back,' he said of Brazil, before suggesting the bilateral relationship could forge a new path out of economic struggle."
" 'They can only do well when they're working with us; without us, they will fail just as others have failed,' he said."
"At the same time, the administration has accelerated its pullback from the U.N., slashing its contributions to the organization and, until last week, leaving its ambassadorship vacant. On Friday, a State Department spokesperson called for the U.N. to 'get back to basics, reorienting the organization to its origins as an effective tool for advancing peace, sovereignty, and liberty.' ”
Comment: Does anyone think these bullying statements and criticisms are going to win any friends and promote American diplomacy? Do you think they drive might some countries into the arms of our adversaries. Do you think Trump's rambling is going to give our allies confidence in US leadership and commitment?
Trump heads to UN General Assembly as future of Palestinian state and Gaza likely to dominate - ABC News
U.S. and Israel against the world as Palestine dominates UN week
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/22/palestine-recognition-un-general-assembly-trump
Comment: "Leaders and diplomats from more than 140 countries will convene on Monday in New York to advocate for a Palestinian state and peace in Gaza."
"There will be three notable absences: Israel, the U.S., and Palestinian leaders themselves, because the Trump administration banned them."
Comment: "Recognition of Palestine by a wave of countries — including the U.S. and Israel's closest allies — will be the dominant topic this week at the UN General Assembly. President Trump will be the only major world leader still standing by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's side."
Comment: "Netanyahu, who vehemently opposes a Palestinian state, will visit Trump in Washington after the assembly to seek his blessing for a strong response."
"The most extreme option under discussion is the annexation of most or all of the occupied West Bank."
CNN: France leads a number of nations recognizing Palestinian state amid anger over Israel’s conduct in Gaza war
How Israel could retaliate against the growing push for recognition of a Palestinian state
Putin is testing NATO's defenses. How will it respond?
Comment: "Drones over Poland. Fighter jets above Estonia. Surveillance planes over the Baltic Sea."
"To U.S. allies in Europe, the pattern is unmistakable: A deliberate campaign of escalation from the Kremlin, designed to probe NATO’s defenses and political resolve."
"The question hanging over an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday is how exactly the alliance will respond."
"As NATO struggles to turn alarm into action, officials and analysts urged a more forceful response and warned that hesitation risks emboldening Russian President Vladimir Putin. But questions about U.S. support, escalation risks and what this growing threat means for Ukraine remain unresolved."
Axios: Russia's "brazen" NATO airspace violations head to UN Security Council
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/22/russia-nato-un-security-council-meeting-estonia
Trump is breaking US diplomacy, State Department staffers say
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/21/trump-embassies-ambassadors-00573848
Comment: "President Donald Trump promised to reform American diplomacy. Insiders say he’s breaking it instead, to the point where he’s undermining his own global influence."
"Eight months into Trump’s second term, more than half of U.S. ambassadorships, an unusually high amount, are vacant. Most top State Department roles are filled on an acting basis, often by people with little relevant experience. Many U.S. diplomats, especially those overseas, are largely cut out of policy talks while struggling to implement administration orders they say are confusing. Many also are too afraid to speak up because they could be fired or lose a promotion under new rules that measure their 'fidelity.' They’ve already seen thousands of their colleagues pushed out and many offices dismantled."
"POLITICO spoke to a dozen State Department officials, former diplomats and other U.S. officials with insight into the department, granting nearly all anonymity because of concerns they could be fired for speaking publicly."
"The overall impact of the changes remains unclear. But many diplomats said they feel both powerless and resigned to the circumstances. There’s a sense that if Trump’s political appointees don’t want diplomats’ advice, then fine — those appointees will have to deal with the legal and logistical fallout of whatever plan they order diplomats to carry out."
Comment: "The department continues to function, though with new priorities. Those include a more restrictive approach to immigration; less emphasis on human rights, humanitarian aid and promoting democracy; and more attention to touting U.S. businesses."
"U.S. diplomats have mixed feelings about these priorities, though many worry that the administration is alienating U.S. allies with its tactics."
"There’s also a pervasive sense of fear at many posts. Much of it revolves around diplomats’ ability to communicate and voice dissent — even on basic policy disagreements."
" 'Loyalty to decisions has always been a fundamental requirement for America’s foreign service, but if speaking honestly internally is suppressed, the administration will stumble blindly into avoidable dangers,' said Ronald Neumann, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan."
Comment: Please read the entire linked article. There's much more important perspective.
Scoop: Trump plans summit in New York with Arab leaders on Gaza war
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/21/trump-israel-gaza-arab-summit-united-nations
Comment: "President Trump is planning to meet a select group of Arab and Muslim leaders on Tuesday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York to discuss ways to end the war in Gaza, two Arab officials with knowledge of the meeting said.
Comment: "The meeting will take place several days before Trump hosts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on September 29."
"It will also take place amid a wave of recognitions of the State of Palestine by Western countries and Israeli threats to retaliate by annexing parts of the occupied West Bank."
Comment: "The leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey have been invited to participate, according to the Arab officials."
"The White House wants the invited Arab and Muslim countries to take part in a post-war plan for Gaza and even send troops for a stabilization force that will replace the Israeli military, sources say."
"The Arab leaders are expected to ask Trump to press Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza and refrain from annexing parts of the West Bank."
"The UAE has already made clear to the White House that Israeli annexation of parts of the West Bank could lead to the collapse of the Abraham Accords, which are Trump's key foreign policy achievement from his first presidential term."
Comment: "The sources said Trump is also expected to hold on the same day a separate meeting with the leaders of several Persian Gulf countries — Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait."
"A key issue in that meeting would be the concerns of the Gulf countries about the Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar. It was the first ever Israeli attack on one of the Gulf countries."
"Arab officials say the Gulf countries want to get assurances from the Trump administration that such attacks will not happen again."
With US backing, defiant Netanyahu vows response to countries recognizing Palestinian state | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/21/middleeast/netanyahu-palestinian-state-response-latam-intl
Live updates: Canada, Australia and UK recognize Palestinian statehood | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/world/live-news/palestinian-statehood-israel-gaza-09-21-25
Axios: UK, Canada and Australia formally recognize Palestinian state
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/21/uk-canada-australia-palestinian-state
Comment: "The UK, Canada and Australia formally recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday."
"The decision by three of the U.S. and Israel's closest allies further isolates the Trump administration and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Both oppose a Palestinian state."
"The move comes ahead of an international peace conference organized by France and Saudi Arabia in support of the two-state solution and in opposition of Hamas that will take place on Monday in New York."
"Several other countries, including France, are also expected to recognize a Palestinian state during this week's U.N. General Assembly."
Comment: "British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement that the UK's decision was made to preserve the future possibility of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."
Comment: "President Trump said earlier this week in a meeting with Starmer that they 'disagree' on the issue of recognizing a Palestinian state."
Comment: "Shortly before Starmer's announcement, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also announced their countries recognize the state of Palestine."
Comment: "Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the recognition and said it will 'pave the way for the implementation of the two-state solution, allowing the State of Palestine to live side by side with the State of Israel in security, peace and good neighborliness.' "
Comment: "The Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Israel 'categorically rejects' the recognition of a Palestinian state by the UK, Canada and Australia and called it 'political gestures aimed at a domestic voting audience'."
Comment: "Netanyahu said in a statement that the Israeli response to the recognitions will be announced after his planned meeting with Trump on September 29."
"Netanyahu is considering annexing parts of the West Bank in retaliation, but wants to get a 'green light' from the Trump administration for this move."
"I have a clear message to those leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the horrific massacre of October 7: you are giving an enormous prize to terror. And I have another message for you: It will not happen. There will not be a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River."
Video: Trump clashes with Australian reporter in heated White House exchange - September 21?, 2025
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp-video/mmvo247745093578
Comment: "President Trump told an Australian reporter that he was 'hurting Australia' after asking a question about the president’s business dealings, adding that the journalist 'set a very bad tone.' Journalist John Lyons from the Australian Broadcast Corporation had asked Trump if it’s appropriate 'that a president in office should be engaged in so much business activity'.”
The Guardian: Republicans warn Australia of ‘punitive measures’ over recognition of Palestinian state
Comment: "Anthony Albanese says he will push for improved global peace and security during meetings with world leaders this week, as allies of Donald Trump warn Australia’s recognition of Palestine could spark 'punitive measures' from the US."
"Albanese arrived in New York on Sunday morning, Australian time, ahead of the UN general assembly and his possible first meeting with the US president."
"Australia will use the UN talks to formally recognise Palestinian statehood, in concert with countries including France, Canada and the UK, but the decision has sparked a backlash from Israel and allies of Trump in Washington."
Comment: "A group of 25 senior Republican lawmakers, including Texas senator Ted Cruz and Trump loyalist Elise Stefanik of New York, have written to the prime minister, as well as French president Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer of Britain and Mark Carney of Canada, urging a rethink."
"The letter was sent to Trump and the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio."
" 'This is a reckless policy that undermines prospects for peace. It sets the dangerous precedent that violence, not diplomacy, is the most expedient means for terrorist groups like Hamas to achieve their political aims,' the letter said."
Comment: "The group warned the US could retaliate over the recognition plan, first announced in August."
" 'Proceeding with recognition will put your country at odds with longstanding U.S. policy and interests and may invite punitive measures in response.' ”
Comment: Why are Republican lawmakers threatening an important and long-time ally, Australia, for its own foreign policy decision to recognize a Palestinian state. Why are Republicans jeopardizing this important relationship with Australia in deference to a belligerent and increasingly unpopular Israel? Republicans have made identical threats to the leaders of France, Great Britain, and Canada, all very important allies.
CBS News: Macron calls U.S. Ambassador Charles Kushner's criticism of France "unacceptable" for diplomat
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/emmanuel-macron-interview-charles-kushner-face-the-nation-09-21-2025/
Comment: "French President Emmanuel Macron said it was out of line for Charles Kushner, the U.S. ambassador to France and the father of President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to publicly accuse him of taking insufficient action to combat antisemitism, and for him to link France's foreign policy positions to domestic incidents of violence against Jews in France."
"In a letter he published in the Wall Street Journal to Macron in August, Kushner wrote that he had 'deep concern over the dramatic rise of antisemitism in France and the lack of sufficient action by your government to confront it'."
" 'Public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence, and endanger Jewish life in France,' he wrote, urging Macron to 'enforce hate-crime laws without exception; ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses, prosecute offenders to the fullest extent; and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.' "
"In an interview with 'Face the Nation' moderator Margaret Brennan on Thursday in Paris, Macron called Kushner's criticism a 'mistake' and an 'unacceptable statement for somebody who is supposed to be a diplomat'."
" 'This is unacceptable,' he said."
"Macron said a French ambassador would never be allowed to make similar public remarks about another country because it would risk diplomacy with those nations."
The Taliban reject Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan - ABC News
Comment: " The Taliban government on Sunday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to retake Bagram Air Base, four years after America's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan left the sprawling military facility in the Taliban's hands."
"Trump on Saturday renewed his call to reestablish a U.S. presence at Bagram, even saying 'we’re talking now to Afghanistan' about the matter. He did not offer further details about the purported conversations. Asked by a reporter if he’d consider deploying U.S. troops to take the base, Trump demurred."
" 'We won’t talk about that,' Trump said. 'We want it back, and we want it back right away. If they don’t do it, you’re going to find out what I’m going to do.' ”
"On Sunday, chief Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid rejected Trump’s assertions and urged the U.S. to adopt a policy of 'realism and rationality'.”
Comment: "Mujahid did not reply to questions from The Associated Press about conversations with the Trump administration regarding Bagram and why Trump believed the U.S. could retake it."
"Earlier Sunday, the chief of staff at the Defense Ministry, Fasihuddin Fitrat, addressed Trump's comments. 'Ceding even an inch of our soil to anyone is out of the question and impossible,' he said during a speech broadcast by Afghan media."
Comment: The Taliban response should have been a surprise to no one. With regard to Trump's bluster ("you're going to find out what I'm going to do"), it is doubtful that the U.S. would take any military action to retake the air base.
Video: Retired colonel explains Russia’s motivation for violating Estonian airspace - September 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuhYH3-lOGM
CNN: Estonia says its airspace was violated by three Russian jets
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/19/europe/estonia-airspace-russia-jets-latam-intl
Comment: Russia still probing to check NATO and U.S. response?
Video: Why Trump wants the U.S. back in Afghanistan's Bagram base - September 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b5XihP5OXI
Video: US News: Trump Seeks To Regain Control Of Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase Amid Taliban Rule - September 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y75W5Eep2jI
Comment: "United States President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of re-establishing a military presence at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan."
"Speaking at a press conference with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump linked his proposal to countering China's influence."
"'We're trying to get it back, by the way, that could be a little breaking news. We're trying to get it back because they need things from us,' he said."
Comment: Trump is completely nuts if he thinks the Taliban is going to invite the U.S. back into Afghanistan.
Pakistan Opens Nuclear Weapons Program to Saudi Arabia - Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/pakistan-saudi-arabia-nuclear-weapons-program-pact-2132355
Comment: "Pakistan's defense minister, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said his nation's nuclear weapons capabilities 'will be made available' to Saudi Arabia under their new pact."
"The mutual defense agreement signed on Wednesday declares that an attack on one nation would be considered an attack on both."
"Its nuclear dimension raises the risk of a nuclear war in the Middle East at a time when the region is rocked by instability and conflict spanning Israel, Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, and Syria in particular."
"Israel is currently the only Middle Eastern state with its own arsenal of nuclear weapons, though it does not formally acknowledge this for strategic reasons."
"The nuclear move is seen by analysts as a signal to Israel."
"It comes after Israel's attack targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar last week killed six people and sparked new concerns among Gulf Arab nations about their safety amid the Israel-Hamas war that's devastated the Gaza Strip and set the region on edge."
Comment: Is Israel's belligerence coupled with Trump's unreliability/aversion to world leadership resulting in future nuclear weapons proliferation?
CNN: As US reliability falters, Saudi Arabia turns to a nuclear-armed ally
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/middleeast/pakistan-saudi-arabia-defense-allies-intl
CNN: Israel’s far-right finance minister suggests a real estate ‘bonanza’ in Gaza will follow the war
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/18/middleeast/israel-smotrich-gaza-land-intl
CNN: Saudi Arabia and Pakistan sign mutual defense pact as Gulf Arab states grow wary of US security guarantees
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/middleeast/saudi-arabia-pakistan-defense-pact-intl-hnk
As Europe turns up the heat on Israel, Trump shrugs - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/17/as-europe-turns-up-the-heat-on-israel-trump-shrugs-00569879
Comment: "President Donald Trump won’t be joining European allies in amping up pressure on Israel over its intensifying assault on Gaza. But he’s not going to make a big deal over the European efforts either, according to two people familiar with the president’s thinking who were granted anonymity to speak candidly."
"Those efforts, which further accentuate the daylight between the White House and European allies on Israel’s war in Gaza and beyond, expanded on Wednesday when EU leaders announced a plan to impose new tariffs on €5.8 billion of Israeli exports to the European Union and sanctions on two key members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government."
Comment: Another example of Trump abandoning America's traditional world leadership role, undermining U.S. credibility and reputation?
NPR: A humanitarian expert says civilians in Gaza City are facing an 'impossible choice'
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/17/nx-s1-5543265/israel-gaza-city-ground-invasion-humanitarian-aid
Comment: " 'People in Gaza City are facing an impossible choice: live under bombardment and famine, or risk a dangerous journey south where they know that there are no services that can accommodate them,' said Shaina Low, a communications adviser for the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). 'What we are witnessing is mass forcible transfer of Palestinians from Gaza City, which is a war crime and must be stopped.' "
"The military escalation came as an independent U.N. commission concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel has denied, calling a report from the commission 'distorted and false'."
CNN: Israeli tanks surround Gaza City ahead of ground incursion as EU proposes sanctions amid global outcry
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/17/middleeast/israel-gaza-ground-assault-satellite-imagery-intl
Trump tramples Reagan’s tough-on-the-Kremlin legacy ahead of UK state visit | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/16/politics/trump-russia-ukraine-war-reagan-uk-visit-analysis
Video: Trump Faces Questions on Use of Military Force in US and Abroad - September 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VgfFGH5Jbg
Trump announces second strike on boat allegedly carrying drugs | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-drug-cartels-05c5b0de282178419d46a3e93fbd2521
Comment: "President Donald Trump said the U.S. military on Monday again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing three aboard the vessel, and hinted that the military targeting of cartels could be further expanded."
Comment: "Asked what proof the U.S. has that the vessel was carrying drugs, Trump replied,
'We have proof. All you have to do is look at the cargo that was spattered all over the ocean — big bags of cocaine and and fentanyl all over the place.' ”
"Trump also suggested that U.S. military strikes targeting alleged drug smugglers at sea could be expanded to land."
Comment: "The Trump administration has justified the military action as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States."
"But several senators, Democrats and some Republicans, have questioned the legality of Trump’s action. They view it as a potential overreach of executive authority in part because the military was used for law enforcement purposes."
"Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California said he’s drafting a war powers resolution aimed at preventing U.S. troops from engaging in further strikes until formally authorized by Congress."
"Schiff said he was concerned 'these lawless killings are just putting us at risk' and could prompt another country to target U.S. forces without proper justification."
" 'I don’t want to see us get into some war with Venezuela because the president is just blowing ships willy-nilly out of the water,' Schiff said."
Comment: "Venezuela’s president lashes out"
"Maduro during a press conference earlier on Monday lashed out at the U.S. government, accusing the Trump administration of using drug trafficking accusations as an excuse for a military operation whose intentions are 'to intimidate and seek regime change' in the South American country."
Comment: "Speaking to Fox News earlier Monday, Rubio reiterated that the U.S. doesn’t see Maduro as the rightful leader of Venezuela but as head of a drug cartel. Rubio has consistently depicted Venezuela as a vestige of communist ideology in the Western Hemisphere."
" 'We’re not going to have a cartel, operating or masquerading as a government, operating in our own hemisphere,' Rubio said."
AP News: Israel’s military begins its ground offensive in Gaza City and thousands of residents flee
https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-wars-09-16-2025-bfd8d7c9f75a9da3e101fb3c8cf6c518
CNN: Netanyahu admits Israel faces prolonged ‘isolation’ over war in Gaza
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/middleeast/netanyahu-israel-isolation-intl
Comment: Do you think that, if we continue to provide unwavering support for Netanyahu's actions, the U.S. will risk a degree of diplomatic isolation also?
Axios: Israel launches offensive to occupy Gaza City
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/15/israel-gaza-city-occupation-ground-offensive
Comment: "Israel's top security chiefs — IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and the heads of Mossad, Shin Bet and military intelligence — advised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching the operation. They warned it could:
Endanger the lives of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
Lead to heavy IDF casualties.
Fail to dismantle Hamas.
Force Israel into direct military rule over Gaza's 2 million residents."
Comment: "The Israeli offensive started hours after Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Netanyahu and senior members of his Cabinet and while Rubio attended a ceremony of a settler group in a tunnel under the Palestinian village of Silwan in East Jerusalem — a short distance from the Al-Aqsa Mosque."
Comment: "Two Israeli officials said Rubio told Netanyahu that the Trump administration supports the round operation but wants to see it implemented quickly, ending as soon as possible."
Comment: "Netanyahu issued a statement in response thanking Trump for his 'unflinching support for Israel's battle against Hamas and the release of all our hostages'."
Video: Trump says U.S. military carried out strike targeting drug cartel boat from Venezuela - September 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZU8C3Sy_SA
Axios: Scoop: Netanyahu spoke to Trump before Israel bombed Qatar
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/15/trump-netanyahu-call-israel-strike-qatar
Comment: "Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed Presiden Trump last Tuesday morning that Israel planned to attack Hamas leaders in Qatar shortly before the strike took place, three Israeli officials with direct knowledge tell Axios."
Comment: "The White House has claimed it was notified only after missiles were in the air, giving Trump no opportunity to oppose the strike. Seven Israeli officials tell Axios the White House knew earlier, even if the timeline to stop it would have been tight."
"Asked Tuesday evening whether he was notified in advance by Israel, Trump claimed he was not. He has publicly expressed disapproval over the attack because Qatar is a key U.S. ally."
Comment: "The version of events U.S. officials laid out last week was that the U.S. military saw Israeli jets in the air and sought an explanation from Israel, which did not arrive until airborne ballistic missiles were flying toward the Hamas compound in Doha."
Comment: "According to the Israeli officials, Netanyahu did inform the White House very late in the game, but it was early enough that the strike still could have been called off."
Comment: "Three Israeli officials told Axios Netanyahu called Trump about the impending strike around 8AM D.C. time. The first reports of explosions in Doha came at 8:51AM."
" 'Trump knew about the strike before the missiles were launched. First there was a discussion on the political level between Netanyahu and Trump, and afterwards through military channels. Trump didn't say no,' a senior Israeli official claimed."
"A second senior Israeli official said the U.S. was notified 'well in advance' on a political level. 'If Trump had wanted to stop it, he could have. In practice, he didn't.' "
"Both officials said the missiles had not yet been fired when Trump and Netanyahu spoke, and claimed Israel would have called off the strike if Trump had objected to it."
Comment: Who to believe, the Trump administration or the Israelis? Unfortunately, both camps have a problem with credibility. Doubtful that many Arab countries in the Middle East trust the statements of either one.
Reuters: Britain bans Israelis from London defence college over Gaza escalation
Comment: "Britain has banned Israelis from attending a prestigious London defence studies college due to the escalation of the war in Gaza, the UK's Ministry of Defence said on Monday, prompting an angry response from Israel."
"While Britain remains a close ally of Israel's, it has recently tried to pressure its government over the conflict, threatening in July to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in the enclave."
Reuters: US and Europe do billions in trade with Russia despite sanctions
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States was prepared to impose fresh energy sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO nations ceased purchasing Russian oil and implemented similar measures."
Comment: "More than three years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and European Union still import billions of euros worth of Russian energy and commodities, ranging from liquefied natural gas to enriched uranium."
Comment: The linked article describes the amount of trade, of various commodities, still taking place.
BBC: Brazil's Lula hits back at Trump over Bolsonaro trial and tariffs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj3yxkkdlkvo
Comment: "Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has defended the trial which saw his predecessor in office, Jair Bolsonaro, sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for plotting a coup."
"In an opinion piece published in the New York Times. Lula dismissed the description by US President Donald Trump of the trial as a 'witch hunt', saying that it was a 'historic decision which safeguard's our institutions and the democratic rule of law'."
"The Brazilian leader said he had written the essay to establish an open and frank dialogue with US President Donald Trump, who has imposed 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports."
"Lula called the tariff hike 'not only misguided but illogical'."
Comment: " 'The US government is using tariffs and the Magnitsky Act to seek impunity for former President Jair Bolsonaro,' Lula wrote, referring to the sanctions which the US has imposed on the Supreme Court justice who led the trial against Bolsonaro."
"The trial concluded on Thursday when four out of the five Supreme Court justices on the panel tasked with judging Bolsonaro found him guilty of all five charges he was facing. A simple majority was needed to convict him."
Comment: Why is Trump involving the U.S. in the internal affairs of a sovereign country at the expense of our economy and foreign relations? Could it be to influence the criminal proceedings against his friend and former Brazilian president Bolsonaro, who attempted a coup similar to that attempted by Trump supporters on January 6th, 2021.
The Guardian: Russian drone incursion into Poland ‘was Kremlin test on Nato’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/14/russian-drone-incursion-poland-nato-ukraine-europe
Comment: "Poland’s foreign minister has said the Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace was an attempt by the Kremlin to test Nato’s reactions by incremental escalations without prompting a full-scale response, as Romania became the second Nato country to report an incursion in a matter of days and protested to Moscow over what it called an 'unacceptable' act."
"Radosław Sikorski confirmed that while the drones that entered Poland last week were capable of carrying ammunition, they were not loaded with explosives. 'Interestingly, they were all duds, which suggests to me that Russia tried to test us without starting a war,' Sikorski told the Guardian in Kyiv."
"He dismissed suggestions that Polish air defences had been unprepared for the incursion, given the fact some of the drones travelled hundreds of miles into Polish territory, and that accounts suggest only three or four out of about 19 were shot down."
The Guardian: Ukraine war briefing: Poland’s allies decry ‘flagrant violation’; Warsaw sends troops to border to monitor Belarus drills
Comment: "The latest blow to faltering diplomacy came as Russia’s army staged major military drills with its key ally Belarus. The military drills started on Friday, and include exercises close to the border with Poland and Lithuania and in the Baltic and Barents seas. Russia’s defence ministry posted a video showing heavy military equipment – including armoured vehicles, helicopters and navy ships – taking part in the drills. Poland said it would station about 40,000 troops near the Belarus border for the duration of the drills."
Video: Trump signals a new position on Russia's war with Ukraine - September 13, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnUu_xjPIUo
Comment: "He said the U.S. will agree to additional sanctions on Moscow, but only when NATO allies stop buying Russian oil."
cbsnews.com: Romania scrambles fighter jets after reporting drone incursion
Comment: "Romania became the latest NATO member state to report a drone incursion into its airspace Saturday, while Poland scrambled aircraft in response to fresh Russian drone strikes just over the border in Ukraine."
"Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia was deliberately expanding its drone operations and that the West needed to respond with tougher sanctions and closer defense cooperation."
"In Washington, President Trump said he was ready to impose major sanctions on Russia — just as soon as all NATO nations did the same thing and stopped buying Russian oil."
"Romania's defense ministry said Saturday that the country's airspace had been breached by a drone during a Russian attack on infrastructure in neighboring Ukraine."
Axios: Rubio to discuss with Netanyahu Israeli plan for possible West Bank annexation
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/13/rubio-netanyahu-israeli-annexation-west-bank
Comment: "Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to discuss during his trip to Israel the possibility of Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in response to the planned recognition of the State of Palestine by numerous Western countries later this month, Israeli and U.S. officials say."
Comment: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still hasn't made a decision about whether to go for annexation and the scope of such a move. He wants to learn in his meeting with Rubio if President Trump would support annexation, an Israeli official said."
"Most of the international community views the West Bank as occupied territory and would consider any Israeli annexations illegal and inflammatory."
"The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has warned the Trump administration and the Israeli government that annexation of the West Bank would significantly harm the UAE-Israel peace treaty and the broader Abraham Accords and undermine the president's hopes of expanding them."
CNN: Gulf states unite to respond to Israel’s attack on Qatar, but find few options
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/13/middleeast/gulf-response-israel-attack-qatar-latam-intl
Newsweek: All Nations That Voted Against Two-State Israeli-Palestinian Solution
https://www.newsweek.com/un-general-assembly-israel-palestine-two-state-solution-2129372
Comment: "The United States was among 10 states that voted against a non-binding resolution for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Friday at the U.N. General Assembly."
"A resolution endorsing the declaration received 142 votes in favor and 10 against, while 12 countries abstained."
Comment: "The U.S. vote against the U.N.'s two-state solution resolution highlights Washington's continued alignment with Israel at a moment of heightened global scrutiny over the conflict. While the resolution is non-binding, the overwhelming international support underscores the growing isolation of the U.S. and a handful of allies on this issue."
UN News: General Assembly endorses New York Declaration on two-State solution between Israel and Palestine
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/09/1165835
Comment: "Applause rang out in the UN General Assembly Hall on Friday as countries endorsed a declaration on the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution with Israel."
Comment: "The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document."
"Israel voted against it, alongside nine other countries – Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States – while 12 nations abstained."
Comment: "Prior to the vote, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont recalled that the New York Declaration 'lays out a single roadmap to deliver the two-State solution'."
"This involves an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages held there, and the establishment of a Palestinian State that is both viable and sovereign."
"The roadmap further calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization between Israel and the Arab countries, as well as collective security guarantees."
"Speaking ahead of the vote, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said that 'this one-sided Declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this Assembly’s credibility.' ”
Rubio to visit Israel with Gaza peace prospects grim and region reeling after Doha strike | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/12/politics/rubio-israel-visit
BBC: US joins UN Security Council condemnation of Israeli strikes on Qatar
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c740kk7vxkdo
Comment: "The United Nations Security Council has condemned Israel's strikes on a residential compound in the Qatari capital Doha, which targeted senior members of Hamas."
"The statement - which did not directly name Israel - was backed by all 15 Security Council members, including the US, which traditionally blocks actions against its close ally."
Comment: "Meanwhile, Algeria's ambassador Amar Bendjama said the Security Council remained 'constrained' as it was 'unable even to name the aggressor, to qualify aggression as a violation of international law'."
"Israel's representative, Danny Danon, defended the attack, telling the meeting: 'This strike sends a message that should echo across this chamber. There is no sanctuary for terrorists, not in Gaza, not in Tehran, not in Doha.' "
"For a Security Council statement to be issued, all 15 members must sign off on the text. The US has long-blocked statements critical of Israel - making its backing of this one, though Israel is not named, notable."
Russia just said what Ukraine has been trying to tell Trump for months: Peace talks are going nowhere fast | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/12/europe/russia-ukraine-peace-talks-paused-kremlin-intl
CNN: Russia-Belarus military drill tests nerves on NATO’s eastern flank at the end of a tense week
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/12/europe/zapad-russia-belarus-military-exercise-nato-intl
Russian drones force Europe to defend itself after Putin ‘put down a marker’ to NATO
https://apnews.com/article/nato-russia-poland-drones-air-defense-dc1a039d30388f2ebcc3b78a5dda365b
Comment: "Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO has focused on trying to deter an attack on its own territory and avoid all-out war with nuclear armed Russia. Now the time has come for NATO to defend itself, and European allies might have to do it alone, experts and leaders say."
"As it has attacked Ukraine, Russia has incessantly harassed Kyiv’s European backers. Warplanes and ships have breached NATO airspace and waters. Transport and communications networks have been sabotaged in attacks blamed on Russia. Disinformation campaigns have sought to undermine support and weaken unity. Putin opponents have been poisoned in Europe in the past too."
"But the flight of multiple Russian drones over Poland this week marks a clear escalation, experts say. NATO responded with overwhelming force. Cheap drones were shot down with high-tech military kit and top-line F-35 jets were deployed. A costly exercise. America did not contribute equipment to the effort."
CBS News: Poland rejects Trump's suggestion that Russia's drone raid "could have been a mistake"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poland-russia-trump-putin-ukraine-war-tusk-says-drones-not-a-mistake/
Comment: "Poland's most senior officials on Friday dismissed President Trump's suggestion that a major Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace could have been a mistake by Vladimir Putin's military."
" 'We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn't. And we know it,' Prime Minister Donald Tusk said in a message posted on social media."
"Polish authorities said they had recovered parts of 17 Russian-made drones, which fell without causing any injuries or major damage in the east of the country on Wednesday."
"Poland's relatively new, conservative President Karol Nawrocki, in a social media post on Thursday, called the Russian drone incursion 'nothing more than an attempt to test our capabilities and response. It was an attempt to test the mechanisms of action within NATO and our ability to respond.' "
"Other European capitals and the European Union also labelled the raid a Russian test of the NATO alliance's resolve in the face of Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, but Mr. Trump suggested otherwise."
" 'It could have been a mistake,' he told journalists late Thursday when asked about the incident."
Comment: Does Trump think 17 drones are 'a mistake?' Why does Trump keep making excuses for Putin?
Netanyahu vows there will be no Palestinian state ahead of UN meeting - ABC News
Comment: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that a 'Palestinian state will not be established,' as countries including France and Canada move to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations later this month."
"Netanyahu attended a ceremony in the West Bank on Thursday celebrating his right-wing government's expansion of the settlement of Ma'ale Adumim."
" 'This thing is about to realize the doubling of the city of Ma'ale Adumim,' Netanyahu said in Hebrew at the ceremony. 'There will be 70,000 people here in five years. It will be a tremendous change.' "
" 'We said there will be no Palestinian state -- and indeed there will be no Palestinian state! This place is ours. We will take care of our heritage, our land and our security,' Netanyahu said."
Comment: "The International Court of Justice declared that the Israeli settlement is illegal. The U.N. Security Council has also passed several resolutions condemning the settlements, most recently in 2016."
"The ICJ concluded that Israel's continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which includes Gaza and the West Bank, is unlawful and that it is under an obligation to bring to an end its unlawful presence 'as rapidly as possible'."
Comment: Another illegal land grab by the Israelis, this time from the West Bank?
Politico: Anxiety in Europe over fending off Russia
Comment: "European officials are increasingly anxious about whether the U.S. will really come to the continent’s aid against Russia following the incursion of Russian drones into Poland’s airspace."
Comment: " 'In the past you’d have seen much more rapid calls from the U.S. president to the Polish president and a more active public stance,' Kent said, 'as opposed to how the dynamic played out over last 36 hours.' The U.S. also has airbases and troops spread out across the continent, none of which helped in knocking down the Russian drones."
Comment: "The diminished U.S. involvement underscores a new reality worrying European leaders — that the Trump administration has its eye elsewhere. A draft of the Pentagon’s new National Defense Strategy places domestic and regional missions above countering adversaries such as Beijing and Moscow, according to three people familiar with the document."
Comment: " 'I don’t think we should be freaking out,' a second European diplomat told NatSec Daily, adding a pledge by the U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker that the U.S. would defend ' every inch' of NATO territory was 'very strong'.”
"But the same diplomat noted that the strongest NATO member — the United States — does not appear to have made any decision on how to handle Putin even as Moscow threatens NATO members. 'We need to address the Russian threat with pressure,' the person said."
"And others weren’t as enthusiastic about Whitaker’s statement of support. The first European diplomat called it 'a little muted' but 'fine'.”
"On the ground, Europe’s actions show it is making moves to shore up its own defenses. Poland, Latvia and Estonia shut their eastern airspace today. Germany announced it’s extending its air policing over Poland and working toward finalizing the EU’s 19th sanctions package against Russia. France said it will deploy three fighter jets to help protect Polish airspace and Europe’s eastern flank."
US officials plan to punish foreigners ‘making light of’ Charlie Kirk death
Comment: " 'Action will be taken against foreigners in the United States who are considered to be “praising, rationalizing, or making light of' Charlie Kirk’s death, a top state department official has said."
"The statement comes in a wider context of an aggressive crackdown on free speech and dissenting views in the US under the second Trump administration, especially when it comes to campus protests sparked by Israel’s war on Gaza."
"In a post on X on Thursday morning, the deputy secretary of state, Christopher Landau, wrote that 'foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country' and said he had directed consular officials to 'undertake appropriate action' against those deemed to be 'praising, rationalizing, or making light of' Kirk’s death on social media."
Comment: 'Making light of Kirk's death' MAY be in poor taste, but it does not constitute glorifying 'violence and hatred.' Kirk was a controversial figure and was not a saint. He should not have been murdered and no one should advocate for his death. However, there should be no punishment for 'making light' of it.
U.S. diplomats say they are reluctant to share inconvenient truths with the Trump administration
Comment: "Late last month, an alarming email landed in the inboxes of American diplomats stationed around the world."
Comment: "The message was sent by the union that represents the State Department’s workforce, and it warned of the risks of offering candid advice or objective assessments in the second Trump era."
"Diplomats posted at embassies abroad are being called back from their assignments 'after providing less-than-positive analysis or unwelcome recommendations to leadership,' according to the Aug. 28 email, which has not been previously reported."
" 'Even if offered discreetly, any statement, verbal or written, can be politicized and used against you,' read the message from the American Foreign Service Association. 'That is the reality we face.' "
"The union’s warning to its members marks the latest example of how federal civil servants – at the State Department and across the government – are facing growing pressure from Trump’s White House to downplay information or views that do not strictly adhere to the president’s partisan agenda, according to current and former federal employees."
Israel’s strike on Qatar has infuriated Arab leaders. That bodes ill for Trump’s Mideast priorities
Comment: "Just a few months ago, the rulers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump to their palaces with camel parades and pomp. Now, those same leaders are united in anger after Israel’s strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha."
"Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called for 'an Arab, Islamic and international response to confront the aggression' and deter Israel’s 'criminal practices'.”
"The UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan flew to Qatar and embraced its ruling emir, a scene that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago, when the UAE and Saudi Arabia led a boycott of the country after accusing it of supporting terrorist groups, something strongly denied by Doha."
" 'Israel’s attack in Qatar violated “all international laws and norms,' Sheikh Mohammed said."
"The strike has triggered the worst fears of leaders in the oil-rich Gulf: that the U.S. might abandon its decades-old commitment to protect them from regional aggressors in the mold of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein or — it now seems — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu."
Trump demanded Netanyahu commit not to strike Qatar again
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/11/trump-netanyahu-strike-qatar-again-israel
Comment: "President Trump demanded a commitment from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to strike Qatar again after the attack against Hamas leaders in Doha, two sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios."
Comment: "Netanyahu didn't consult Trump or any of his top advisers until missiles were in the air. The strike infuriated the White House and alarmed leaders in the region and around the world."
"The attack was damaging not just for Israel's global standing, but potentially for America's."
"Qatar's prime minister told the White House his country would now reevaluate its security partnership with Washington after this act of 'betrayal,' and said in a CNN interview that leaders across the Gulf were discussing how to respond."
"But Netanyahu is publicly unapologetic, even suggesting he might order another attack, regardless of Trump's demand."
Comment: Do you think Trump should threaten the U.S. arms shipment to Israel to get Netanyahu's attention?
South Korea’s president says Georgia ICE raid could have ‘considerable impact’ on direct US investment from his country | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/11/asia/south-korea-ice-raids-georgia-trump-intl-hnk
Trump’s credibility challenged in Qatar and Poland: Analysis | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/politics/trump-israel-qatar-airstrikes-hamas-analysis
Republicans increasingly say Trump has been played by Putin | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/politics/vladimir-putin-trump-republicans-poland
Comment: It's about time Republicans publicly admit what they have known for quite some time.
'Here we go': Trump reacts after Russian drones shot down over Poland
Comment: "President Donald Trump offered his first reaction to Russia's drone incursion on Poland, which the country's military and European leaders condemned as 'unprecedented.'
" 'What's with Russia violating Poland's airspace with drones? Here we go!' Trump wrote on his social media platform on Wednesday."
Comment: "It marked the first time in the alliance's history that fighters had engaged potential targets in allied airspace, according to Col. Martin L. O'Donnell, a spokesperson for Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe."
Comment: Given the gravity of the situation, should we have expected a more serious and reassuring initial statement from the President? Later, Trump did speak with the Polish President and other European leaders.
Comment: "Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski had strong words for Trump during a news conference on Wednesday, telling reporters Russian President Vladimir Putin 'laughs' at Trump's peace efforts."
" 'Putin laughs at President Trump's peace efforts,' Sikorski said. 'Since Alaska, he has only intensified the war. I hope that [Trump] backs his words with action.' "
What NATO's Article 4 talks mean after Russian drone incursion | AP News
Comment: "Article 4 can put urgent matters on the agenda.
Comment: "Article 4, the shortest of the NATO treaty’s 14 articles, states that: “The Parties will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”
Comment: "This doesn’t necessarily mean a step toward Article 5."
"Deen said that Article 4 is related to Article 5, but is 'not necessarily a ‘stepping stone'.’”
" 'Article 5 has only been invoked once, in response to the 9/11 attacks on the United States, immediately bypassing article 4. In other words: Article 4 can be invoked without triggering Article 5, and vice versa,' he said."
NATO downs Russian drones over Poland after 'unprecedented' aggression
Comment: "Polish airspace was violated by at least 19 Russian drones overnight, the country's prime minister said, in a torrent of activity that triggered a response from the NATO country's air force, which scrambled and downed several of the drones."
" 'Those drones that posed a direct threat were shot down," Prime Minister Donald Tusk said early on Wednesday on social media. 'I am in constant communication with the Secretary-General of NATO and our allies.' "
"Two Polish F-16s and two Dutch F-35s were deployed to 'help ensure safety in Polish skies,' the military said. The operations ended early on Wednesday, Warsaw said, adding that the search continued for downed drones and potential impact sites."
"The country's military command described the violations as 'unprecedented,' saying they amounted to ;an act of aggression that posed a real threat to the safety of our citizens'."
"Tusk said this marked the first time in history that Russian drones had been shot down on NATO territory, which he said 'changes the political situation.'
"Tusk told parliament on Wednesday that Warsaw had requested the invocation of NATO Article 4. The clause allows a NATO member to convene a meeting of allies to consult on an issue that could threaten its security."
" 'Today we must say very loudly and clearly to the entire Western world and all our allies -- Article 4 is only the beginning of deeper cooperation for the security of our skies and our border, which is NATO’s border, and words alone are by no means enough,' Tusk said."
Comment: "NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said in a statement Wednesday morning that allies had held discussions after Poland's Article 4 request. 'Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behavior,' Rutte said. 'A full assessment of the incident is ongoing. What is clear is that the violation last night is not an isolated incident.' "
Comment: The linked article goes on to quote responses from other U.S., NATO, Russian, and other European leaders and officials.
A presidential jet and a massive US airbase didn’t shield Qatar from Israel’s attack. America’s Arab allies are taking note | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/middleeast/us-arab-allies-qatar-israel-attack-latam-intl
Reuters: Israel will kill Hamas leaders next time if they survived Qatar attack, Israeli official says
White House rebukes Israel for its strike on Qatar - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/09/white-house-rebukes-israel-for-its-strike-on-qatar-00552850
Comment: "President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a sharp rebuke of Israel’s strike targeting Hamas officials in Doha, assuring Qatari leadership that such an action would never happen again as he attempted to smooth over a new rift between two allies."
Comment: At least, that's something.
Trump advisers vent anger over how Israel conducted strike in Qatar | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/09/politics/israel-qatar-trump-strike-anger
ABC News: Trump says he's 'very unhappy' with Israeli strike in Qatar
Comment: So, Trump's "unhappy." Big deal! What's he going to do to help rein in Netanyahu, before our entire Middle East foreign policy is destroyed.
AP News: Israeli strike in Qatar targets Hamas leaders as they weigh Gaza ceasefire proposal
https://apnews.com/article/qatar-explosion-doha-e319dd51b170161372442831a8023db5
Comment: "Israel struck the headquarters of Hamas’ political leadership in Qatar on Tuesday as the group’s top figures gathered to consider a U.S. proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The strike on the territory of a U.S. ally marked a stunning escalation and risked upending talks aimed at winding down the war and freeing hostages."
"The attack angered Qatar, an energy-rich Gulf nation hosting thousands of American troops that has served as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas throughout the 23-month-old war and even before. It condemned what it referred to as a “flagrant violation of all international laws and norms” as smoke rose over its capital, Doha. Other key U.S. allies in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, promised their support to Qatar."
Comment: "The United States said Israel alerted it before the strike. But American officials sought to distance the U.S. from the attack. The White House said President Donald Trump believes the strike was an 'unfortunate incident' that didn’t advance peace in the region. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 'made his thoughts and concerns very clear'.”
"She also told reporters that Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff passed along a warning to the Qataris. But Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari derided the warning, saying in a post on X that it came just as 'the explosions from the Israeli strikes were being heard'.”
Reuters: Israel targets Hamas leadership in military strikes on Qatar, officials say
Comment: "Israel launched an airstrike against Hamas leaders in Qatar on Tuesday, expanding its military actions that have ranged across the Middle East to include the Gulf Arab state where the Palestinian Islamist group has long had its political base."
"Qatar, which has acted as a mediator alongside Egypt in talks on a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war in Gaza, condemned the attack as 'cowardly' and called it a flagrant violation of international law."
Comment: "Israeli officials told Reuters the strike was aimed at top Hamas leaders including Khalil al-Hayya, its exiled Gaza chief and top negotiator."
"The attack took place shortly after Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for a shooting that killed six people at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday."
"The assault is likely to deal a serious, if not fatal, blow to efforts to reach a ceasefire, especially since negotiations took place in the Gulf Arab country Qatar."
"The United Arab Emirates, which normalised relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords in 2020, called the Israeli attack on Doha 'blatant and cowardly'."
"Abu Dhabi was already angry over an Israeli minister's plan for annexation in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, saying that was a red line that cannot be crossed."
"Regional power Saudi Arabia denounced what it called a 'brutal Israeli aggression' against Qatar's sovereignty."
AP News: Noem says roundup of Koreans at Hyundai plant in Georgia won't deter investment in the US
Comment: Since when did Kristi Noem become an expert on economics, trade, or foreign policy? These are not her areas of responsibility, authority, or expertise. Her opinion means nothing.
Attorney says detained Korean Hyundai workers had special skills for short-term jobs
https://apnews.com/article/south-korea-us-georgia-raid-hyundai-24d990562f5ac20e7d3e983a77a4f7ff
Comment: "A lawyer for several workers detained at a Hyundai factory in Georgia says many of the South Koreans rounded up in the immigration raid are engineers and equipment installers brought in for the highly specialized work of getting an electric battery plant online."
"Atlanta immigration attorney Charles Kuck, who represents four of the detained South Korean nationals, told The Associated Press on Monday that many were doing work that is authorized under the B-1 business visitor visa program. They had planned to be in the U.S. for just a couple of weeks and 'never longer than 75 days,' he said."
" 'The vast majority of the individuals that were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that were South Korean were either there as engineers or were involved in after-sales service and installation,' Kuck said."
Comment: If one assumes the lawyer's statements are true, do you think ICE's action at the Hyundai plant might discourage future foreign investment in the U.S.?
CNN: Russia strikes Ukrainian government building for first time, in largest air attack of war
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/07/europe/ukraine-russia-largest-attack-intl-hnk
Comment: Does it look like Putin is looking for a negotiated peace agreement?
The Guardian: 300 South Koreans detained at Hyundai plant in US to be released, says Seoul
Comment: "South Korea announced on Sunday that the roughly 300 of its nationals detained during an immigration raid in Georgia would be released and flown home, as the sudden detention of workers appeared to strain the longstanding diplomatic and economic relationship between the two nations."
Comment: "South Korean officials said that US officials’ dissemination of images from the raid was unfortunate, given that both countries’ leaders recently met to discuss trade."
"Park Yoon-joo, South Korea’s first vice foreign minister, reportedly told US secretary of state for political affairs, Allison Hooker, that it was lamentable the raid unfolded 'at a critical time, when the momentum of trust and cooperation between the two leaders, forged through their first summit, must be maintained'."
" 'The economic activities of our companies that have invested in the US and the rights and interests of our citizens should not be unfairly infringed upon during the course of US law enforcement,' Park also said, according to a foreign ministry statement."
"Trump’s comments on the raid risked further stoking of tensions between the US and South Korea. 'I would say that they were illegal aliens and Ice was just doing its job,' Trump commented when questioned about the raid."
"The immigration raid also appears to fly in the face of officials’ recent push for South Korean investment in the US. South Korea and the US recently brokered a trade agreement, part of which is a $250bn fund to assist South Korean companies come into American markets."
Comment: Note the carefully worded diplomatic language used by the South Koreans and compare it to the blunt remark from Donald Trump. Do you think the way this ICE raid was handled will adversely impact U.S./South Korean foreign relations?
Reuters: South Korea says US release of video showing workers' arrest was regrettable
Comment: "South Korea said the U.S government's release of images of the arrests of hundreds of Korean workers was regrettable, especially as the incident followed so closely after a summit between the two nations' leaders."
Comment: "The crackdown could risk damaging ties between Washington and Seoul, a key Asian ally and U.S. investor, when the two are trying to narrow their differences and complete a trade deal after the summit between President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung."
Video: South Korea to support Koreans detained in US ICE raid | CNN - September 6, 2025
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/06/us/video/south-korea-support-nationals-ice-raid-georgia-digvid
Federal News Network: After testing to join Foreign Service, candidates must retake version approved by Trump administration
Comment: After reading this linked article do you think the intent is to insure that our future foreign service officers will best represent the United States or to insure that they will represent Donald Trump?
Reuters: Egypt vows to block Palestinian displacement, hardens rhetoric on Gaza
Comment: "Egypt said on Friday it would not tolerate mass displacement of Palestinians and what it described as genocide, continuing to ratchet up its criticism of Israel's Gaza offensive as thousands of residents of Gaza City defied Israeli orders to leave."
" 'Displacement is not an option and it is a red line for Egypt and we will not allow it to happen,' Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told reporters in Nicosia."
" 'Displacement means liquidation and the end of the Palestinian cause and there is no legal or moral or ethical ground to evict people from their homeland,' he said."
"His comments are in line with a hardening of Egyptian language this year about Israel's conduct in the enclave, which borders Egypt, even as it has worked with Qatar and the U.S. to try to mediate a ceasefire in the almost two-year-old war."
The Guardian: US and UN discuss Gaza reconstruction plan before general assembly
Comment: "A potential UN-endorsed reconstruction plan for Gaza, including a one-year technocratic government, an international stabilisation force, disarmament of Hamas and a rejection of mass deportation of Palestinians, is being discussed with the US to prevent the UN general assembly descending into a bitter row about the symbolic recognition of Palestine as a state."
"It is almost certain that the UK, France, Canada, Belgium and Malta will recognise the state of Palestine at a UN conference on 22 September to be held on the sidelines of the general assembly, in the week when world leaders deliver major speeches."
"Britain had suggested it may not recognise Palestine if Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire, but the Israeli government has adamantly rejected a ceasefire and announced an intention to capture Gaza City."
Comment: "It is expected that the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, will visit London before the UN conference. The US has announced it will not give visas to Abbas and the authority's delegation for the general assembly, a decision Europeans are protesting against on the grounds that a reformed Palestinian Authority is essential to a ceasefire and the future governance of Palestine."
"Plans reportedly floated in the White House that in effect endorse Israeli annexation of Gaza and the West Bank are anathema to the European and Gulf leaders. 'Displacement is not an option and it is a red line for Egypt, and we will not allow it to happen,' the Egyptian foreign minister, Badr Abdelatty, said on Friday.
Axios: Israel bombs high-rise buildings in Gaza City ahead of massive offensive
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/05/israel-gaza-city-bombing-high-rise-hamas
NPR: Israel is blasting through Gaza City neighborhoods, but people have nowhere to go
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/g-s1-86628/gaza-city-israel-offensive
Comment: "Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said in a press briefing the military now has "operational control" of 40% of Gaza City and will continue to expand and intensify the offensive in the coming days. The military called around 60,000 reservists back to war to support the expansive operation, which Israel says is aimed at returning hostages and dismantling Hamas rule."
"Last week, the military declared all of Gaza City a 'dangerous combat zone' and is striking at high-rise buildings in the city's central and western neighborhoods. These areas, including its western shoreline, have been crowded for months with displaced people and tents."
Comment: "The assault on Gaza City — once the territory's beating heart and its commercial and cultural hub — comes nearly two years into Israel's war in Gaza that's killed more than 64,200 people, a third of them children, according to Gaza's health ministry. The war began in October 2023 with a Hamas-led attack on Israel that authorities there say killed nearly 1,200 people and took hostages."
Comment: "Netanyahu has the tacit backing of President Trump for this Gaza City offensive, despite hundreds of former Israeli security officials saying Hamas no longer poses a threat and that it's time to end the war. There have also been large protests in Israel demanding a ceasefire that frees hostages held by Hamas."
Video: Israel advancing with Gaza City expansion as genocide accusations emerge - September 4, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPKC49c3OHI
The Guardian: US imposes sanctions on Palestinians for requesting war crimes inquiry
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/04/us-sanctions-palestinian-human-rights
Comment: "The US has imposed sanctions against three Palestinian human rights groups that asked the international criminal court (ICC) to investigate Israel over allegations of genocide in Gaza, according to a notice posted to the US treasury department’s website."
"The three groups – the Gaza-based Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Ramallah-based Al-Haq – were listed under what the treasury department said were ICC-related designations."
"The groups are leading rights monitors in Palestine and have been engaged in documenting alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza over the past 23 months. Sanctions will make it harder for international human rights organisations to cooperate with the groups, and will make day-to-day life more difficult for their employees."
"The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said sanctions were imposed on the rights monitors for having 'directly engaged in efforts by the international criminal court to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent'."
"Days earlier, the world’s leading genocide scholars’ association said Israel's actions in Gaza met the legal definition of genocide, an accusation Israel has denied."
Comment: From an international perspective, could these U.S. sanction actions be considered a form of "obstruction of justice"?
Trump plays down possible regime change in Venezuela; US deploys stealth fighter jets
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/us-deploying-10-fighter-jets-080420012.html
Comment: "The United States is not talking about regime change in Venezuela, President Donald Trump said on Friday, as the United States ordered an additional 10 stealth fighter jets to a military buildup in the Caribbean."
Comment: "The U.S. president is weighing options for further strikes, including potentially attacking suspected drug cartel targets inside Venezuela, CNN reported on Friday, citing multiple sources briefed on the administration's plans. Such a strike would mark a major escalation."
Comment: "The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters on Friday."
Comment: "The disclosure about the F-35s came just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a 'highly provocative' flight on Thursday by fighter jets near a U.S. Navy warship."
"Trump warned Venezuela that the U.S. military had authorization to shoot down the jets if commanders believed they needed to, saying: 'If they do put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down.' "
"At every turn, the Trump administration has sought to tie Maduro's government to narco trafficking, allegations Caracas denies."
The Daily Beast: Pete Hegseth Declares He Has 'Absolute Authority' to Kill Suspected Drug Dealers
Comment: No one likes drug smugglers, but killing them unnecessarily without trial is legally questionable, even in international waters. Not sure Pete Segseth is a credible legal authority either. Before killing anyone, the administration better have sufficient evidence and accurate intelligence (intelligence which they can make public) to satisfy the American people that the killing was justified. If Hegseth and the Pentagon make a mistake and kill innocents, it will be a grave moral error and a major foreign policy fiasco.
Comment: "The crime of drug trafficking does not carry the death penalty in the U.S., though it does in some countries."
Trump administration says more operations against cartels coming
Comment: "Senior U.S. national security officials said on Wednesday that military operations against cartels would continue, setting the stage for a sustained military campaign in Latin America even as basic questions about a deadly strike against a vessel from Venezuela remained unanswered."
"The U.S. military killed 11 people on Tuesday in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics, in the first known operation since President Donald Trump's recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean."
Comment: "Little is known about the strike, including what legal justification was used or what drugs were on board, but U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said operations would continue."
Comment: "The Pentagon has not released specifics about the crew nor why it chose to kill those on board."
"Presidents of both major U.S. parties have in the past asserted the authority to use the military for limited strikes when there is a threat to the United States, as Trump did in June when he ordered an attack on Iran."
"Rubio said that 'a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl' was an immediate threat to the United States, adding that Trump had the right to 'eliminate (it) under exigent circumstances'."
Comment: "The decision to blow up a suspected drug vessel passing through the Caribbean, instead of seizing the vessel and apprehending its crew, is highly unusual and evokes memories of the U.S. fight against militant groups such as al Qaeda."
"The United States has deployed warships in the southern Caribbean in recent weeks, with the aim of following through on a pledge by Trump to crack down on drug cartels."
"Seven U.S. warships and one nuclear-powered fast attack submarine are either in the region or expected to be there soon, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines. U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico."
Comment: " 'The only person that should be worried is Nicolas Maduro, who is ... effectively a kingpin of a drug narco state,' Hegseth said."
"The Trump administration last month doubled the reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro to $50 million, accusing him of links to drug trafficking and criminal groups."
"Venezuelan officials have said the Caribbean buildup is meant to justify an intervention against them, with Maduro accusing Trump of seeking 'regime change'."
Axios: Hegseth: Venezuela mission won't stop "with just this strike"
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/03/hegseth-venezuela-boat-strike-maduro
Reuters: Putin tells Ukraine: End war via talks or I will end it by force
Comment: "However, Putin indicated no willingness to soften his long-standing demands, including that Kyiv abandon any idea of joining NATO and that it end what Moscow says is discrimination against Russian speakers."
"He said he was ready to hold talks with Volodymyr Zelenskiy if the Ukrainian president came to Moscow, but that any such meeting had to be well prepared and lead to tangible results."
Comment: Ultimatum includes an offer of peace, but only on Putin's terms.
The Guardian: Ukraine war briefing: No action from Trump as another Putin deadline passes
Video: World reacts to North Korea's Kim Jong Un attending China's military parade - September 3, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyd6tSfIaNk
NPR: Trump confirms U.S. strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/02/nx-s1-5525984/venezuela-trump-drugs-caribbean
Comment: "Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela are rising. Days after sending U.S. gunboats to South American waters, President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy struck a vessel in the southern Caribbean carrying what he described as a Venezuelan drug shipment."
Comment: "The strike on the vessel comes amid the Trump administration's increasingly confrontational posture toward the Veneuelan regime. Washington accuses Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel and has put a $50 million bounty on his head. Then just over a week ago, the U.S. deployed warships - including the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group—to waters off Venezuela's coast in a significant show of force."
"Maduro claims the U.S. military buildup is a sign that Washington is trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government. In response Maduro has declared 'maximum preparedness' in the country, saying that 4.5 million militia members are ready to ensure that 'no empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela.' State TV network Telesur has been running extensive coverage featuring Venezuelans—including fishermen and ordinary citizens—called up for military service."
Reuters: US military kills 11 people in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says
Comment: Apparently, the U.S. and Venezuela are not just posturing.
Axios: UAE warns White House that Israeli annexations could unravel Abraham Accords
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/03/israel-annex-west-bank-uae-trump-abraham-accords
Comment: "The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has told the Trump administration that Israeli annexation of the occupied West Bank would harm the Abraham Accords and undermine the president's hopes of expanding them, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter."
"Israel is considering annexing large portions of the West Bank later this month in response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by several western countries. President Trump is likely the only foreign player who could stop it. The UAE message is that if he doesn't, a key aspect of his foreign policy legacy could unravel."
Comment: "The Emirati position is significant because the UAE was the first Arab country to condemn the Oct. 7 attacks, has maintained relations with Israel throughout the war in Gaza and even worked with the Israeli government on a post-war plan."
"But the Emiratis have made clear in private and in public that they see annexation of parts of the West Bank as a 'red line'."
" 'These plans, if carried out, will do substantial damage to the UAE-Israel relationship. And they will irreparably damage whatever remains of the vision of regional integration. In many ways, the choice before Israel right now is annexation or integration,' a senior Emirati official told Axios."
AP News: With Israeli advance looming, Palestinians in Gaza City ask when to leave and where to go
Comment: "With Israel saying it will soon move to seize Gaza City, Palestinian residents are left with an impossible choice. They can leave the city, but they worry that could mean never returning. Or they can stay behind, which they fear could be deadly."
Comment: Is there anywhere in the south of Gaza where it is safe to go?
ABC News: Trump says China conspiring against US with Putin, Kim meeting at military parade
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-reacts-putin-kim-jong-xi-chinas-military/story?id=125201888
Comment: What did Trump expect? Each of the 3 leaders are either communists or former communists who came of age during the Cold War. His personal relationships ("bromances") with Putin and Kim are in Trump's mind only.
The Guardian: Kim Jong-un promises to do ‘everything to assist’ Moscow after Putin meeting
Comment: "Vladimir Putin has invited Kim Jong-un to visit Russia during a lengthy meeting in Beijing on the sidelines of China’s biggest military parade, as Kim promised to do 'everything I can to assist' Moscow."
"North Korea has supported Russia in its war against Ukraine with weapons and troops, and the Russian president praised North Korean fighters for acting 'courageously and heroically'."
Comment: "North Korea has become a key Russian ally since the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang sent weapons including artillery shells and missiles to Russia for the war and thousands of troops to fight in Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had made a cross-border incursion, although the deployment was initially denied."
"Russia and North Korea last year signed an agreement that mutually obliges them to provide 'military and other assistance' in the event the other is attacked."
Reuters: China's Xi hosts 'old friend' Putin, North Korea's Kim in challenge to West
Time Magazine: Belgium to Recognize Palestinian State at U.N. General Assembly and Sanction Israel
https://time.com/7313858/belgium-to-recognize-palestinian-state-sanction-israel-response/
AP News: Maduro vows to declare a ‘republic in arms’ if US forces in the Caribbean attack Venezuela
Comment: "Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday said his country was at 'maximum preparedness' and ready to respond if attacked by forces that the United States government has deployed to the Caribbean."
"His comments during a news conference come as the U.S. government this week is set to boost its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels. The U.S. has not signaled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, Maduro’s government has responded by deploying troops along its coast and border with neighboring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia."
Comment: Posturing and saber rattling by both sides?
Axios: Mexican president vows U.S. agreements "without subordination" amid rising tensions
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/01/trump-mexico-tariffs-sheinbaum
Comment: "Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum issued a stern warning on Monday to the Trump administration that Mexico is willing to enter security agreements with the U.S. around immigration and fighting cartels, but 'without subordination.' "
"Why it matters: Sheinbaum is facing pressure from President Trump amid his increasingly changing and erratic demands to battle drug cartels while holding the threat of tariffs over Mexico."
Comment: "Sheinbaum's first State of the Union, held on Monday, came after reports that Trump secretly ordered the Pentagon to explore military strikes on cartels inside Mexican territory — news that outraged Mexicans nationwide."
The Guardian: China’s Victory day military parade: why are Putin and Kim Jong-un there, and what is the ‘axis of upheaval’?
Comment: "The gathering in Beijing will include the leaders of Russia and North Korea, along with the Iranian president, a grouping dubbed the axis of upheaval"
Comment: "On Wednesday, China is holding a military parade in the capital, Beijing, to mark 80 years since the end of the second world war. But it’s not just about the past, the parade says a lot about the forces reshaping the world today, and in the future."
"At the parade, Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be flanked by the leaders of some of the world’s most heavily sanctioned nations – Russia, North Korea, Iran and Myanmar – and a host of other leaders of the global south but notably almost no western leaders."
"The parade is seen as a show of military and diplomatic strength by Beijing amid high-stakes negotiations with Donald Trump’s administration in the US over trade."
The Guardian: Israel committing genocide in Gaza, world’s top scholars on the crime say
Comment: "The world’s leading genocide scholars’ association has backed a resolution stating that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of the crime."
Comment: "The three-page resolution passed by the body calls on Israel to 'immediately cease all acts that constitute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in Gaza, including deliberate attacks against and killing of civilians including children; starvation; deprivation of humanitarian aid, water, fuel, and other items essential to the survival of the population; sexual and reproductive violence; and forced displacement of the population.' ”
"The resolution said the IAGS recognised that 'since the horrific Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023, which itself constitutes international crimes', the government of Israel had engaged in systematic and widespread crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide, including indiscriminate and deliberate attacks against the civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, homes and commercial buildings, of Gaza."
"Melanie O’Brien, the IAGS president and a professor of international law at the University of Western Australia, said the resolution was 'a definitive statement from experts in the field of genocide studies that what is going on on the ground in Gaza is genocide'."
Axios: Modi joins hands with Xi and Putin in message to Trump
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/01/trump-modi-xi-putin-hold-hands-tariffs
Comment: "Facing tariffs and insults from President Trump, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a far friendlier interaction on Monday with his Russian and Chinese counterparts during his first visit to China in seven years."
"The big picture: Successive U.S. presidents have aggressively courted India as a counterweight to China. Trump is actively trying to drive a wedge between India and Russia while seeking to gradually peel Russia away from China. So the image of all three leaders literally holding hands is, at the very least, a symbolic blow."
AP News: Modi and Putin meet on summit sidelines as India faces steep US tariff over Russian oil imports
https://apnews.com/article/modi-putin-russia-india-sco-us-oil-9a79eeefaeadaeb358c6e7a248202e19
Comment: "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on the sidelines of a regional summit in China on Monday in a show of deepening ties when New Delhi's relations with Washington are strained over the purchase of Russian oil."
"The two leaders held talks after attending the key session of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization gathering in the port city of Tianjin, where discussions focused on regional stability, bilateral trade and energy cooperation."
"In his remarks to open the talks, Modi termed the partnership with Moscow as 'special and privileged.' Putin addressed Modi as a “dear friend” and hailed Russia’s ties with India as special, friendly and trusting."
Reuters: India and China are partners, not rivals, Modi and Xi say
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/india-china-are-partners-not-rivals-modi-xi-say-2025-08-31/
Comment: "Analysts say Xi and Modi are seeking to align against pressure from the West, days after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a punitive total of 50% tariff on Indian goods, partly in response to New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil."
"Trump's moves hurt decades of carefully cultivated U.S. ties with New Delhi, which Washington had hoped would act as a regional counterweight to Beijing."
"Modi told Xi his country was committed to improving ties with China and discussed reducing India's burgeoning bilateral trade deficit of nearly $99.2 billion, while emphasising the need to maintain peace and stability at their disputed border after a clash in 2020 triggered a five-year military standoff."
Comment: Trump drives another potential ally into the arms of our adversary, China.
Video: China’s Xi rolls out the red carpet for Putin and Modi as Trump upends global relations - August 31, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydNi1K6cmuk
Comment: "China positioning itself as alternative leader while U.S. fractures its relationships."
Video: Putin and Modi in China for summit overshadowed by trade wars with US | BBC News - August 31, 202
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PECD50X9jM
The Guardian: Putin, Modi and Erdoğan among leaders in China for talks with Xi
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/31/putin-modi-erdogan-xi-china-talks
Comment: "Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin have met on the sidelines of a showpiece summit in China that seeks to challenge US-led, western-dominated blocs and is being attended by the leaders of more than two dozen nations."
Comment: "The bilateral meeting was one of several for Xi on Sunday, who is hosting the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin. The SCO is a 10-member bloc of Eurasian nations, and the summit is also being attended by the leaders of 16 observer or 'dialogue partner' nations."
"Xi personally welcomed several leaders including the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, and the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, before the delegates attended a formal reception."
Comment: "The Tianjin summit is the largest held by the bloc since it was formed in 2001. The SCO is a key part of Beijing’s push for stronger multilateral alternatives to western or US-led blocs such as Nato."
"Putin told the Chinese state news agency Xinhua on Saturday that the SCO meeting would 'consolidate solidarity' among the Eurasian nations and 'help shape a fairer multipolar world order'."
"The goal appears to have been helped by the upheaval brought by Trump’s tariff regime and other foreign policy moves. Modi and Xi’s meeting took place five days after Washington imposed punishing 50% tariffs on Indian goods due to Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil."
Comment: Do you think that, when the Trump Administration withdraws from its world leadership role and upends our trusted economic relationships, China is anxious to fill that world leadership and economic cooperation void?
Video: What happened to Trump’s ‘red lines’ in the Ukraine-Russia War? - August 31, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTYEgVQgBN0
NPR: Israel orders the around 1 million Palestinians living in Gaza City to evacuate
Comment: "Israel plans to seize Gaza City and is telling civilians to move south. The International Red Cross says forcing the population out is unsafe."
Axios: Israel weighs West Bank annexations in response to Palestine recognition push
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/31/israel-annex-west-bank-palestine-recognition
Comment: "The Israeli government is seriously debating the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the imminent recognition of Palestine by several western countries, according to three Israeli, U.S. and European officials with direct knowledge."
"Why it matters: Most of the international community views the West Bank as occupied territory and would consider any Israeli annexations illegal and inflammatory."
"Israel's next move will depend on the stance of President Trump, who blocked Israeli annexations twice in his first term. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told Axios the administration doesn't yet have a position."
Comment: Driving the news: Countries including Australia, Canada, France and the U.K. announced they will recognize the State of Palestine during the UN General Assembly in late September, joining the nearly 150 countries that already do."
"Israel and the U.S. oppose [sic] are trying to deter those countries by taking punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority and threatening even harsher steps if recognition takes place."
"The State Department announced on Friday that it won't issue visas to senior Palestinian officials who wish to attend the UN General Assembly in September, and will revoke visas that were previously granted. A State Department official confirmed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be barred from visiting New York."
Comment: Any excuse for Israel to make a land grab? And is Trump giving his approval for Israel's actions?
CNN: US tells diplomats to refuse most visas for Palestinian passport holders
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/31/politics/state-department-refuse-most-visas-palestinian-passports
AP News: Palestinian president’s office urges US to reinstate his visa ahead of key UN meetings
https://apnews.com/article/palestinians-abbas-us-visas-revoked-un-71e7ad94620c23398533391329f5c544
Comment: "The Palestinian president’s office on Saturday urged the U.S. government to reverse its unusual decision to revoke his visa, weeks before he was meant to appear at the U.N.’s main annual meeting and an international conference about creating a Palestinian state."
"The 27-nation European Union asked the Trump administration to reconsider the move, which drew broad criticism."
"U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and 80 other officials ahead of next month’s annual high-level meeting of the U.N. General Assembly, the State Department disclosed Friday, citing national security interests. Abbas has addressed the General Assembly for many years, and generally leads the Palestinian delegation."
" 'We call upon the American administration to reverse its decision. This decision will only increase tension and escalation,' Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told The Associated Press in Ramallah on Saturday."
CNN: US announces it is ‘denying and revoking visas’ for Palestinian officials ahead of UN General Assembly
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/29/politics/us-denying-visas-palestinian-officials
Comment: These officials are not from Hamas and these banned officials include member of the Palestinian Authority from the West Bank.
Comment: "The decision, welcomed by Israel, is unusual as the US is expected to facilitate travel for officials of all countries wishing to visit the UN headquarters."
"The ban comes as France leads international efforts to recognize a state of Palestine at the session - a move Donald Trump's administration has opposed."
Politico: ‘His inexperience shines through’: Steve Witkoff struggles to manage Russia as Trump peace envoy
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/steve-witkoff-russia-ukraine-00533390
Comment: "Witkoff’s solo approach has led to repeated miscues with Russia, leaving Trump’s pledge to quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine adrift."
NPR: In a first, Kim Jong Un will attend a gathering of leaders with both Putin and Xi
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/29/g-s1-86280/north-korea-kim-jong-un-china-military-parade
Comment: "When North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits China next week for a military parade, he'll make his debut at a large gathering of foreign leaders, an event with the heads of China, Russia and North Korea all together for the first time."
Comment: "China's State Council this week published a list of 26 leaders it said would attend that would also include the leaders of Iran, Cuba, Belarus and Serbia. Slovakia is so far the only NATO member on the list."
Comment: "This will also be Kim's first known visit to China since 2019. He and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met five times between 2018 and 2019."
"But since then, Kim has drawn closer to Russia, signing a mutual defense treaty with the Kremlin and sending thousands of troops to Russia to fight Ukraine."
" 'This is a major mending of the fence, I would say, between China and North Korea," says John Delury, a Seoul-based senior fellow at Asia Society, a nonprofit educational organization. 'This puts the strategic relationship of the leaders back on some kind of even keel.' "
Comment: Is the improving relationship between our adversaries the result of our reduced emphasis on international leadership?
BBC: 'Gringos out!': Mexicans protest tourists and gentrification
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy5pvdyd0ygo
Comment: "Most were angry at exorbitant rent hikes, unregulated holiday lettings, and the endless influx of Americans and Europeans into the city's trendy neighbourhoods like Condesa, Roma and La Juárez, forcing out long-term residents."
"In Condesa alone, estimates suggest that as many as one in five homes is now a short-term let or a tourist dwelling."
"Others also cited more prosaic changes, like restaurant menus in English, or milder hot sauces at the taco stands to cater for sensitive foreign palates."
"But as it moved through the gentrified streets, the initially peaceful protest turned ugly."
"Radical demonstrators attacked coffee shops and boutique stores aimed at tourists, smashing windows, intimidating customers, spraying graffiti and chanting 'Fuera Gringo!', meaning 'Gringos Out!' "
Comment: Is this just the latest iteration of "Yankee Go Home," or does it reflect a deeper economic and cultural frustration of Mexicans with American/Europeans?
Rubio hands off USAID closeout to OMB Director Vought - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/29/rubio-usaid-closeout-vought-00536088
Comment: And what does Russell Vought do? He unilaterally cancels $4.9B in foreign aid already appropriated by Congress, which many members of Congress say is illegal. It sets up a showdown in Congress that may end up causing a partial shutdown of the government at the end of September. Do you think that Rubio may have been personally unwilling to start a war with his former colleagues in the Senate? Please reference the related article:
White House declares $4.9B in foreign aid unilaterally canceled in end-run around Congress' funding power - POLITICO
Additional comments to the referenced article can be found at this website under "Focus on US Congress."
Just Security: What Just Happened? Dismantling the Intelligence Community’s Foreign Malign Influence Center
https://www.justsecurity.org/119653/wjh-dismantling-foreign-malign-influence-center/
Comment: "Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently announced that the functions of the intelligence community’s Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC) would be reduced and absorbed into other parts of the U.S. intelligence community. In doing so, Gabbard has dismantled the last remaining U.S. federal government organ dedicated to tracking and analyzing State-sponsored efforts to interfere in U.S. institutions, elections, and society. After the Trump administration shut down related units at the State Department, Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and Department of Justice earlier this year, Gabbard’s announcement is a particular blow to U.S. national security and a gift to America’s adversaries, who have no interest in slowing down malign influence operations that harm U.S. national interests."
"In the run-up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the FMIC meticulously documented State-sponsored threats, particularly from China, Iran, and Russia, that targeted candidates and the electoral process itself. It also made public the process by which the executive branch would notify key stakeholders, including the American public, of threats to the election. The FMIC posted regular notifications to the American public, outlining the tactics, techniques, and procedures that State-sponsored actors used to influence the American public surreptitiously. The center highlighted specific instances of deepfake videos that sought to undermine confidence in the integrity of the electoral process, such as a Russian State-sponsored viral clip that purported to show mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania being destroyed. FMIC’s transparency contributed to bipartisan efforts to quickly debunk the video."
Comment: Given the FMIC's role in debunking false 2024 election fraud claims, why do you think the Trump administration is eliminating it?
CNN: Gabbard abruptly ousted CIA Russia expert days after Trump-Putin meeting
Politico: Trump admin offers subdued response to Russia’s assault on Kyiv, and Europe’s outrage
Comment: "Allies sought to convince Trump that deadly overnight attacks make clear that Putin’s not interested in peace. But they made little headway."
BBC: European leaders outraged after Russian strikes kill 23 and damage EU's HQ
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3y7m2gz0o
Comment: "UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accused Russia's Vladimir Putin of 'sabotaging hopes of peace', while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said they showed 'a deliberate choice to escalate and mock peace efforts'."
CNN: Russia launches second-biggest air assault of Ukraine war, killing at least 21 and damaging EU building
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/28/europe/ukraine-russia-kyiv-attack-hnk-intl
Kyiv hit by 'massive' Russian missile, drone attack, officials say, with 22 killed
Comment: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there were strikes on 'a Turkish enterprise, the Embassy of Azerbaijan, the EU Delegation, the British Council, and residential areas.' "
"He said the strikes represented 'a clear response to everyone in the world who for weeks and months has been calling for a ceasefire and real diplomacy. Russia chooses ballistics over the negotiating table. It chooses to continue the killings rather than end the war.' "
" 'This means that Russia still does not fear the consequences,' Zelenskyy added. 'Russia still takes advantage of the fact that at least part of the world closes its eyes to the killed children and looks for excuses for Putin.' "
"Zelenskyy called for pressure, such as sanctions and tariffs, and said Ukraine is 'counting on strong steps.' He urged a response from nations like China and Hungary, which have expressed sympathy with Russia's position. 'It is definitely time for new tough sanctions against Russia for everything it is doing,' he added."
" 'All deadlines have already been missed, dozens of opportunities for diplomacy have been spoiled. Russia must feel its responsibility for every strike, for every day of this war,' Zelenskyy said."
Axios: European ministers tell Rubio they'll trigger 'snapback' sanctions against Iran Thursday
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/iran-snapback-sanctions-european-plan
Comment: "France, Germany, and the U.K. sent a letter Thursday morning to members of the UN Security Council announcing they are triggering the 'snapback' mechanism to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran, which had been suspended under the 2015 nuclear deal."
Comment: "In the letter, the three European powers emphasized that during the next 30 days — before the sanctions take effect — they are open to negotiations with Iran on a nuclear agreement that could halt the process."
Comment: "Snapback sanctions will further damage Iran's economy and likely lead to Iranian retaliation. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran will continue discussions with the Europeans but 'will not concede under pressure.' "
"Iranian officials have threatened in the past that triggering the 'snapback' mechanism would lead Iran to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT)."
Video: Report claims U.S. covert operations in Greenland - August 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8u7yQLvycE4
NPR: Denmark summons U.S. envoy over claims of interference in Greenland
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/28/nx-s1-5520519/denmark-us-envoy-interference-greenland
Comment: "Denmark's foreign minister summoned the top U.S. diplomat in the country for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland."
Comment: "Trump has repeatedly said he seeks U.S. jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semiautonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island."
"Denmark and Greenland have said the island is not for sale and condemned reports of the U.S. gathering intelligence there."
"Public broadcaster DR said Danish government and security sources that it didn't name, as well as unidentified sources in Greenland and the U.S., believe that at least three American nationals with connections to Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in the territory."
"One of those people allegedly compiled a list of U.S.-friendly Greenlanders, collected names of people opposed to Trump and got locals to point out cases that could be used to cast Denmark in a bad light in American media, the broadcaster reported. Two others have tried to nurture contacts with politicians, businesspeople and locals, according to the report."
Comment: Denmark is a member of NATO, and we and the Danes are supposed to be allies.
The Guardian: Brawl erupts in Mexico’s senate after debate over US military intervention to fight drug cartels
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/28/mexico-senate-fight-us-military-intervention-cartels
Comment: "The scuffle followed a tense debate during which the governing Morena party and its allies accused the opposition Pri and Pan parties of calling for US military intervention in Mexico, a claim that both parties denied."
"Earlier this week, a senator from the Pan party had gone on Fox News and said that 'help from the United States to fight the cartels in Mexico is absolutely welcome'."
"The issue has become particularly contentious in Mexico after Donald Trump reportedly authorized the use of military force targeting drug cartels deemed terrorist organizations in Latin American countries."
Politico: Mexico suspends postal shipments to United States over tariff confusion
Comment: "Mexico said Wednesday its postal service was suspending package shipments to the United States ahead of an end to the exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages by the Trump administration."
"The announcement follows similar moves by postal services from the European Union and several other countries to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the U.S. measure. It also comes during monthslong negotiations between the Mexican government and the Trump administration to avoid wider tariffs."
"The exemption — known as the 'de minimis' exemption, which allows packages worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty free — is ending Friday. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 billion, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection."
"Mexico’s government said its postal service, Correos de Mexico, will temporarily suspend package deliveries to the U.S., starting Wednesday."
CNN: Why was Tony Blair at the White House for Trump’s Gaza meeting?
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/28/middleeast/tony-blair-trump-gaza-meeting
Axios: Scoop: Inside Trump's Gaza meeting with Tony Blair and Jared Kushner
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/28/trump-gaza-kushner-blair-plan
Trump holds Gaza policy meeting with Tony Blair and Jared Kushner
Comment: "President Donald Trump presided over a policy meeting on Israel's war in Gaza and post-war plans for the Palestinian territory on Wednesday with input from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Trump Middle East envoy Jared Kushner, a senior White House official said."
"Trump, top White House officials, Blair and Kushner discussed the hostage crisis, plans to escalate food aid deliveries, post-war plans and more, the official told Reuters."
Comment: "In February, Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza and a permanent displacement of Palestinians from the coastal territory. The plan was globally condemned and labeled as an ' ethnic cleansing' proposal by rights experts and the United Nations. Forcible displacement is illegal under international law."
"Trump cast the plan, which he has not publicly mentioned in recent weeks, as a re-development idea to turn Gaza into the 'Riviera of the Middle East.' "
"The plan echoed an idea that Kushner floated a year earlier to clear Gaza of its Palestinian inhabitants and turn it into a waterfront property."
"The Financial Times reported in July that the Tony Blair Institute participated in a project to develop a post-war Gaza plan. The think-tank had said it 'has had many calls with different groups on post-war reconstruction of Gaza but none have included the idea of forcible relocation of people from Gaza.' "
Comment: "Separately, the U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Washington and discussed Gaza and regional issues."
"Saar, asked after the meeting what the plan was for a Palestinian state, said there would not be any. Some U.S. allies have in recent weeks announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state."
"Israel's devastating assault on Gaza since October 2023 has killed over 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. It has also caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza's entire population and prompted accusations of genocide and war crimes at international courts that Israel denies."
Comment: Is Kushner still planning to develop that Gaza waterfront property after the Israelis either kill or kick out the current inhabitants?
Reuters: US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates
Politico: Majority of Americans disapprove of US-Israel military alliance, new poll shows
Comment: "A Quinnipiac University survey found 60 percent of voters disapprove of the U.S. sending military aid to Israel, while 32 percent support additional aid — the highest level of opposition and lowest level of support for the U.S. military alliance with Israel in a Quinnipiac poll since the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks against Israel by Hamas."
Comment: "Democrats and independent voters largely oppose Israel’s military actions in Gaza. In the new poll, 75 percent of Democrats and 66 percent of independents said they were against more spending to provide additional military aid for Israel, while 56 percent of Republicans supported additional spending."
"Half of the voters surveyed, including 77 percent of Democrats, said they believe Israel is committing genocide. Sixty-four percent of Republicans said they do not believe Israel is committing genocide."
Video: Why Brazil Chose China (You Won't Believe What USA Did) - August 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RGRJkO1JV8
Politico: ‘We Still Don’t Know How Far They’ll Go’
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/25/trump-law-foreign-diplomats-column-00518617
Comment: "Donald Trump’s second term in office has been marked by a series of unprecedented and highly controversial law enforcement decisions — everything from mass pardons to an immigration crackdown that has pushed, if not blown right through, the most basic constitutional constraints. Recent public polling suggests that a growing number of Americans are rattled by what they have seen and are increasingly concerned about the future of the country’s law enforcement apparatus and legal system. The news on Friday that the FBI raided the home of John Bolton, a former Trump official turned critic, is not likely to help matters."
"Now those concerns are going global."
"Senior officials in some of America’s closest European allies are quietly fretting about the law enforcement priorities of the Trump administration and even the conduct of the Justice Department, according to four European diplomats who are stationed in Washington and who were granted anonymity to discuss sensitive trans-Atlantic diplomatic and law enforcement matters."
"Their concerns run the gamut from the administration’s approach to specific issues — including immigration, free speech and international drug trafficking — to broader and more structural questions about the integrity of the U.S. legal system and the potential erosion of the rule of law."
"The atmosphere has gotten so bad that some of the diplomats I spoke to now worry the Trump administration has complicated, and could eventually undermine, their countries’ ability to cooperatively work with the Justice Department on critical diplomatic and law enforcement initiatives."
CNN: Kim and Putin top Xi’s guest list for China’s huge military parade in defiant show of unity
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/27/china/china-military-parade-putin-kim-intl-hnk
CNN: Trump tells South Korean president he wants to meet North Korea’s Kim Jong Un
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/25/asia/trump-south-north-korea-kim-jong-un-intl-hnk
Comment: Is Kim Jong Un another Trump 'bromance' with a dangerous dictator?
The Hill: Bolton calls Trump’s Ukraine strategy ‘incoherent’ in postraid op-ed
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5469888-bolton-calls-trump-ukraine-strategy-incoherent/
Comment: "Former national security adviser John Bolton called President Trump’s Ukraine strategy 'incoherent' in an opinion piece published Monday — three days after federal agents raided his Washington-area home and office."
" 'President Donald Trump's Ukraine policy is no more coherent today than it was last Friday when his administration executed search warrants against my home and office,” Bolton said in the opinion piece for the Washington Examiner, titled 'Trump’s utterly incoherent Ukraine strategy.' ”
" 'Collapsing in confusion, haste, and the absence of any discernible meeting of the minds among Ukraine, Russia, several European countries, and America, Trump’s negotiations may be in their last throes, along with his Nobel Peace Prize campaign,' he added."
Comment: Apparently, Bolton was not intimidated by the FBI raids on his home and office.
AP News: France summons US Ambassador Kushner over 'unacceptable' letter about rising antisemitism
https://apnews.com/article/charles-kushner-france-antisemitism-f282bad136613817ae2f2a3043d9f159
Comment: "France has summoned the American ambassador to Paris after the diplomat, Charles Kushner, wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron alleging the country did not do enough to combat antisemitism."
"France’s foreign ministry issued a statement Sunday announcing it had summoned Kushner to appear Monday at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and that his allegations 'are unacceptable.' ”
Comment: "The summoning of the ambassador is a formal and public notice of displeasure."
"Kushner, a real-estate developer, is the father of President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner."
Comment: "In the letter, released late on Sunday, Kushner writes that 'public statements haranguing Israel and gestures toward recognition of a Palestinian state embolden extremists, fuel violence and endanger Jewish life in France.' ”
"Kushner urges Macron 'to act decisively: enforce hate-crime laws without exception, ensure the safety of Jewish schools, synagogues and businesses ... and abandon steps that give legitimacy to Hamas and its allies.' ”
"Kushner’s allegations violate international law and the obligation not to interfere with the internal affairs of another country, the French ministry said, and, 'They also fall short of the quality of the transatlantic partnership between France and the United States and of the trust that must prevail between allies.' ”
"The dustup follows Macron’s rejection this past week of accusations from Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that France’s intention to recognize a Palestinian state is fueling antisemitism."
Comment: Do you think France, and other European countries, are sick of Israel's genocide in Gaza and are sick of The United States unwavering support for Israel, given the dealth and famine in Gaza? Do you think that France is justifiably upset with the U.S. lecturing them about France's foreign policy choices?
Video: CNN: Nationwide protests in Australia against war in Gaza - August 25, 2025
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/world/video/australia-protests-against-war-in-gaza-vrtc
The Guardian: Declaration of famine in Gaza lays bare Israel’s disregard for humanitarian duty
Gaza’s biggest city is in chaos ahead of an imminent Israeli assault | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/24/middleeast/gaza-city-chaos-israel-intl
ABC News: Europeans insist on security guarantees for Ukraine as Russia balks: ANALYSIS
Comment: "They propose an 'Article 5-like' framework, similar to NATO's defense pact."
Comment: "How many troops would serve in Ukraine – and which countries would send them – are key questions in an 'Article 5-like' security guarantee that European leaders have spoken about. Instead of an Article 5 vow under the NATO treaty alliance – in which an attack on one member is considered an attack on all – allies have discussed a 'coalition of the willing' that would promise to back Ukraine's security."
" 'What does Article 5-like security guarantee mean?' said Foggo. 'I'm not sure up until this point anybody can answer that question.' "
Video: Gaza famine driven by Israel’s aid blockade claims UN aid chief - August 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I-5GEl9GWo
BBC: Famine confirmed in Gaza City is 'failure of humanity', UN chief says
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05ed5rgld3o
North Korea has a secret missile base near China that could threaten the U.S., a new report says
Comment: "North Korea has a covert military base near the Chinese border that poses a 'potential nuclear threat' to the U.S. mainland, according to new research."
"The Sinpung-dong Missile Operating Base is about 17 miles from the border with China in the North Korean province of North Pyongan, researchers from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington, said in a report Wednesday."
"The base could contain six to nine of North Korea’s advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles, along with their mobile launchers and thousands of soldiers, the report said. Though the weapons are not likely to be mounted with nuclear warheads, they are capable of carrying them."
" 'These missiles pose a potential nuclear threat to East Asia and the continental United States,' the report said."
"The site, which the report said North Korea has never referred to publicly, was only recently discovered despite a strict international regime intended to limit further development of North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs."
"Researchers said the report was based on interviews with defectors and officials around the world, as well as declassified documents, satellite images and open-source information."
Comment: Meanwhile, take a look at some other headlines (and article links) from the last few days and ask yourself, given this North Korean threat and others like it, whether it's a good time to adversely impact the U.S. intelligence community. Does this appear to be a Trump Administration purge of the U.S. intelligence community?
Hegseth fires head of Defense Intelligence Agency (August 22 2025)
Why did Tulsi Gabbard fire the NSA’s chief data scientist? (August 22, 2025)
Gabbard barred sharing intelligence on Russia-Ukraine negotiations with "Five Eyes" partners - CBS News (August 22, 2025)
Tulsi Gabbard announces plans to cut intelligence staff by half (August 20, 2025)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78mj2m85pno
Gabbard announces plan to reorganize her agency, cut staff by half (August 20, 2025)
Tulsi Gabbard revokes security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials (August 19, 2025)
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/politics/tulsi-gabbard-revokes-security-clearances
White House, Rubio want better foreign-policy coordination after Argentina snafu with Noem
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/21/noem-dhs-rubio-argentina-snafu
Comment: "When Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem signed a visa-waiver accord with Argentine officials last month, Marco Rubio — the national security director and secretary of state — didn't get a heads-up until after the fact, according to five sources familiar with the situation."
"Now the White House and National Security Council want to make sure there's no repeat of such a scenario."
Comment: "Noem traveled to Latin America last month and signed a July 28 'statement of intent' with Argentine counterparts to readmit the country to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which would eventually enable citizens of that country to travel to the U.S. for 90 days without a visa."
"Rubio, however, wasn't informed in advance and was 'blindsided' and 'annoyed' by the announcement, two sources who spoke with him said."
" 'The policy itself isn't a problem, it was just a breach of protocol,' one of the sources said. 'Marco likes Kristi and he talks to her all the time. It's just that this is not a good way to conduct foreign policy if the lines of communication are like this.' "
Comment: Trying to get a handle on the chaos and confusion?
The U.S. cut off a medical lifeline for Gazan children — and Laura Loomer may be to blame
https://www.msnbc.com/top-stories/latest/laura-loomer-gaza-children-trump-marco-rubio-rcna226345
Comment: "The self-described Islamophobe said she spoke directly with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to relay her concerns about the visa program."
Comment: "Loomer has no official job in the White House but, from her private perch, she — for some reason — has great sway over Trump’s decisions. She has reportedly influenced who gets hired and fired in top administration posts."
"In April, several National Security Council officials were fired by Trump after the far-right influencer 'expressed dissatisfaction with some officials on his national security team, three people familiar with the matter told NBC News.' Shortly thereafter, national security adviser Mike Waltz, who had reportedly clashed with Loomer, was also ousted from his role."
"But Loomer’s latest move is one of the most monstrous things I have ever seen. In recent weeks, Loomer grew increasingly upset that the U.S. was allowing into the country a very small number of severely injured Palestinian children from Gaza: kids missing limbs, with severe burns, ones in dire need of medical care. On social media, Loomer called them a 'national security threat' and 'Islamic invaders.' ”
"On Friday night, Loomer said she spoke directly with Secreary of State Marco Rubio to relay those concerns. The very next day, the State Department announced it was pausing all visitor visas for individuals from Gaza."
Video: Israel approves controversial West Bank settlement, hindering two-state solution - August 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXC4EqsHXQQ
Why the Putin-Zelensky summit Trump wants will be hard to pull off
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/20/why-the-putin-zelensky-summit-trump-wants-will-be-hard-to-pull-off
Comment: "The White House insists Vladimir Putin and Voloymyr Zelensky will soon meet for peace talks. The Kremlin seems far less certain."
"Why it matters: Putin has shown no interest in sitting down with Zelensky through 3.5 years of war. President Trump claims that's now changed, and that a presidential meeting is the key to unlocking peace."
"Driving the news: Press secretary Karoline Leavitt declared Wednesday that Putin had agreed to move to the 'next phase' of the peace process — a bilateral meeting with Zelensky. Trump wants that meeting to take place by the end of August, ideally much sooner."
"But Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sang a very different tune on Wednesday. Any presidential summit should be preceded by a 'step by step' process of lower-level talks, he told state media."
"That mirrors Moscow's previous position that the leaders could meet to sign an agreement, but not open negotiations for one."
"Right now, the parties are very far apart on the key issues of security guarantees and territorial concessions. Even if they do meet, the swift peace deal Trump is hoping for appears unlikely."
Video: Trump 'standing up' to Putin is the 'only way' the war will end: Ex Amb. - August 20, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkYufzdRsJc
BBC: Kremlin plays down Zelensky talks as Trump warns Putin may not want to make deal
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn92e52rpjxo
Comment: "The Kremlin has played down talk of an imminent summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, as Donald Trump renewed his call for the two leaders to meet to discuss ending the war in Ukraine."
"Trump admitted the conflict was 'a tough one' to solve and conceded it was possible the Russian president was not interested in ending hostilities."
" 'We're going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks,' he said on Tuesday. 'It's possible that he doesn't want to make a deal.' "
"Putin faced a 'rough situation' if that were the case, Trump added, without offering any details."
Comment: "The Russian president told Trump on Monday that he was 'open' to the idea of direct talks with Ukraine, but the next day Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov watered down that already vague commitment."
Comment: "On Tuesday, Trump said the US was willing to help the Europeans 'by air' if they provided boots on the ground in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire or peace deal, although he ruled out deploying US troops."
"The US president, however, did not go into the specifics of whether such air support may entail intelligence or the use of fighter jets and war planes."
"While Trump's commitments remain vague, the France and UK-led 'coalition of the willing' said it had been working to firm up plans for a reassurance force that could be sent to Ukraine if the hostilities end."
Comment: Do you think that Putin has manipulated Trump once again and that Putin is buying time to continue the war without suffering additional economic sanctions? Do you think that the Europeans are frustrated about Trump's vagueness regarding the support of a security guarantee for Ukraine?
The Guardian: Trump’s tariffs replace diplomacy as other US tools of statecraft are discarded
Comment: "Measures meant to rebalance America’s economy are wielded instead against the likes of Canada, India and Brazil ‘to compel loyalty to the president’
Comment: "On the campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to use tariffs to revitalise American industry, bringing jobs home and helping to make America great again. But more than six months into his administration, experts say the president’s trade war is increasingly being wielded as a political cudgel, in lieu of more traditional forms of diplomacy."
Comment: "For future US administrations, winning back the trust of some of these countries could be difficult, as Trump’s escalating trade war comes at the same time as his administration dismantles its instruments of global statecraft. From mass firings at the state department to the slashing of foreign assistance programmes at USAID, America’s diplomatic toolbox is vastly diminished."
The Times of Israel: France slams new US sanctions on ICC judges, prosecutors
Comment: So, instead of imposing additional economic sanctions on Russia for their war in Ukraine, we are sanctioning members of the International Criminal Court. Really? Is it any wonder that the Europeans don't trust us anymore?
AP News: Israel approves settlement project that could divide the West Bank
Comment: "Israel gave final approval Wednesday for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two, and that Palestinians and rights groups say could destroy hopes for a future Palestinian state."
"Settlement development in E1, an open tract of land east of Jerusalem, has been under consideration for more than two decades, but was frozen due to U.S. pressure during previous administrations. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank to be illegal and an obstacle to peace."
"Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a former settler leader, cast the approval as a rebuke to Western countries that announced their plans to recognize a Palestinian state in recent weeks."
BBC: US revokes 6,000 student visas, State Department says
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz93vznxd07o
Comment: "The State Department has revoked more than 6,000 international student visas because of violations of US law and overstays, the department told the BBC."
"The agency said the 'vast majority' of the violations were assault, driving under the influence (DUI), burglary and 'support for terrorism'."
Comment: "While the State Department did not specify what they meant by 'support for terrorism', the Trump administration has targeted some students who have protested in support of Palestine, arguing they had expressed antisemitic behaviour."
Comment: "Earlier this year, the Trump administration paused scheduling visa appointments for international students. In June, when they restarted appointments, they announced they would ask all applicants to make their social media accounts public for enhanced screening."
"They said they would search for 'any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States'."
Comment: Isn't freedom of speech one of the "founding principles of the United States," including criticism of the Israeli government's actions in Palestine? How are these statements anti-Semitic, when many Israeli Jews and many American Jews express the same criticisms?
Comment: "State Department officers were also instructed to screen for those 'who advocate for, aid, or support designated foreign terrorists and other threats to national security; or who perpetrate unlawful anti-Semitic harassment or violence'."
Politico: The Existential Meets the Absurd in Latest Ukraine Talks
Comment: "It’s hard enough to negotiate with an enemy you do not trust. But imagine not being able to trust your most critical ally, either."
"When President Donald Trump said Monday that he’d offer Ukraine 'very good security' as he pushed Kyiv to come to some sort of truce with Russia, many Ukrainians watched knowing that he may not keep his word. Trump is known, after all, for constantly changing his mind, including about how much he admires Russian leader Vladimir Putin."
"Yet the U.S. remains a crucial source of military and economic aid to Ukraine. So there was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office on Monday (in a suit!), hoping to convince Trump to give Kyiv 'everything' it needed for its security. He came with other European leaders who urged Trump to keep helping Ukraine, to pursue a ceasefire first and not to fall for dubious Russian long-term peace proposals."
"As the visitors made their practiced pitches while sitting around a table with the U.S. president, the whole thing felt absurd."
"Ukrainians obviously cannot trust Putin, a man with a long history of broken promises. But they also cannot trust Trump, another man with a long history of broken promises. Somehow, though, these are the two men pressuring Kyiv to go for a 'peace agreement' that could force Ukraine to give up a huge chunk of its territory to an invading Russia."
"The harsh reality is that Ukrainians have little choice but to consider any offer Trump puts before them. They still need the United States, even if the relationship stinks."
CNN: Not so easy: The perils and pitfalls in providing Ukraine with security guarantees
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/world/perils-pitfalls-ukraine-security-guarantees-intl
Axios: Trump says U.S. will help guarantee Ukraine's security if peace deal signed
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/18/zelensky-trump-summit-white-house-russia-ukraine
Comment: "While it was all smiles for the camera, it was a tense few days in the lead-up to Monday's meeting, with Trump questioning Zelensky's willingness to make peace and Ukrainian officials worrying that Russian President Vladimir Putin manipulated Trump during their summit in Alaska."
"However, Trump's endorsement of strong security guarantees for Ukraine under any peace deal was very welcome news for Kyiv."
Comment: "Asked if the U.S. was prepared to send troops to guarantee Ukraine's security after the war, Trump said that European countries would form the 'first line of defense' but 'we'll be involved.' "
"Trump did not offer any more details beyond saying the U.S. will do its part to ensure any peace deal endures for the long term. 'We will give them very good protection, very good security. That's part of it,' Trump said."
Comment: Did you notice the vagueness of Trump's response about U.S. troops and about the degree of U.S. involvement in the security guarantee?
AP News: Trump says he has begun arrangements for face-to-face meeting between Putin and Ukraine's Zelenskyy
https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Monday he’s begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a pathway to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while affirming that the U.S. would back European security guarantees aimed at preventing Moscow from reinvading its neighbor once the current conflict ends."
"Details of the security guarantees and Trump’s efforts to arrange peace talks were still evolving as an extended meeting among Trump, Zelenskyy and other European leaders wrapped up at the White House."
Comment: "The 'most important' outcome of the meeting was the 'U.S. commitment to work with us on providing security guarantees,' French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters."
Comment: "The developments come amid a significant measure of trepidation on the continent that Trump is pressing Ukraine to make concessions that will only further embolden Putin after the U.S. leader hosted the Russian president for an Alaska summit last week."
" 'I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelenskyy,' Trump said in a social media post. 'After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself. Again, this was a very good, early step for a War that has been going on for almost four years.' ”
"It was not clear if Putin has fully signed on to such talks."
Axios: Trump calls Putin at White House summit to arrange talks with Zelensky
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/18/trump-call-putin-zelensky-ukraine-summit
Comment: "Russia did not confirm a meeting with Zelensky but only said that Trump and Putin had discussed 'the idea of raising the level of Russian and Ukrainian representation in the negotiations.' "
NPR: Trump to meet Zelenskyy with 2 big issues in focus: security guarantees and land
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/18/nx-s1-5505397/trump-zelenskyy-white-house-meeting-russia-ukraine
Comment: "Monday's talks won't just be Zelenskyy at the table with Trump, as an unusually long list of European leaders are on hand to join them. Among them: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen, French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, in what is being seen as a united front to prevent Trump from pressuring Zelenskyy into an unfair agreement to end the war with Russia. Also joining at the White House is Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the president of Finland, Alexander Stubb."
Comment: "Zelenskyy's return to Washington comes amid new questions about Trump's positions on the war, which shifted after he met with Putin. Prior to the Alaska summit, Trump had said he wanted a ceasefire and threatened consequences for Russia if the fighting didn't end."
"But now Trump is advocating against a ceasefire and pushing for a full peace agreement, which is Putin's preferred position — and he has said he sees no immediate need for new sanctions."
Axios: Zelensky responds to Trump comments: "Russia must end" war it started ahead of key talks
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/18/trump-russia-ukraine-zelensky-european-leaders-summit
Comment: "The big picture: Zelensky made clear in his posts to social media ahead of the meeting that other European leaders will also attend that while they 'all share a strong desire to end this war quickly and reliably,' he won't cede territory to Russia."
"Why it matters: Monday's White House meeting follows Trump's talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, after which Trump felt it's 'up to' Zelensky to make peace, per Axios' Barak Ravid."
ABC News: Trump says Zelenskyy can end Russia war 'almost immediately' before White House meet
Comment: "On Sunday, Trump explicitly said Ukraine will not regain Crimea -- occupied by Russia in 2014. The president also repeated that Ukraine will not be allowed to join NATO, though White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Zelenskyy have hinted at alternative security guarantees involving the U.S."
" 'President Zelenskyy of Ukraine can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight,' Trump wrote on social media on Sunday."
AP News: European leaders to join Ukraine’s Zelenskyy for White House meeting with Trump
Comment: European and NATO leaders announced Sunday they will join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Washington to present a united front in talks with President Donald Trump on ending Russia’s war in Ukraine and firming up U.S. security guarantees now on the negotiating table."
"Leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Finland are rallying around the Ukranian president after his exclusion from Trump's summit on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their pledge to be at Zelenskyy’s side at the White House on Monday is an apparent effort to ensure the meeting goes better than the last one in February, when Trump berated Zelenskyy in a heated Oval Office encounter."
" 'The Europeans are very afraid of the Oval Office scene being repeated and so they want to support Mr. Zelenskyy to the hilt,' said retired French Gen. Dominique Trinquand, a former head of France’s military mission at the United Nations."
Comment: "Putin agreed at his summit in Alaska with Trump that the U.S. and its European allies could offer Ukraine a security guarantee resembling NATO’s collective defense mandate as part of an eventual deal to end the 3 1/2-year war, special U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff said in an interview Sunday on CNN’s 'State of the Union.' ”
Comment: "The European-drafted plans also envision an allied force in Ukraine away from the front lines to reassure Kyiv that peace will hold and to dissuade another Russian invasion, Macron said. He spoke after a nearly two-hour video call Sunday with nations in Europe and further afield — including Canada, Australia and Japan — that are involved in the so-called 'coalition of the willing.' ”
"The 'several thousand men on the ground in Ukraine in the zone of peace' would signal that 'our fates are linked,' Macron said."
" 'This is what we must discuss with the Americans: Who is ready to do what?' Macron said. 'Otherwise, I think the Ukrainians simply cannot accept commitments that are theoretical.' ”
"European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier at a news conference in Brussels with Zelenskyy that 'we welcome President Trump’s willingness to contribute to Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine. And the ‘coalition of the willing’ -- including the European Union -- is ready to do its share.' ”
Politico: Russia is quietly churning out fake content posing as US news
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/17/russia-us-news-media-disinformation-campaign-00512173
Comment: A pro-Russian propaganda group is taking advantage of high-profile news events to spread disinformation, and it’s spoofing reputable organizations — including news outlets, nonprofits and government agencies — to do so."
"According to misinformation tracker NewsGuard, the campaign — which has been tracked by Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center as Storm-1679 since at least 2022 — takes advantage of high-profile events to pump out fabricated content from various publications, including ABC News, BBC, and most recently POLITICO."
"This year, the group has focused on flooding the internet with fake content surrounding the German SNAP elections and the upcoming Moldovan parliamentary vote. The campaign also sought to plant false narratives around the war in Ukraine ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday."
Comment: We try to be careful on the accuracy of the links provided, and we don't usually link pro-Russian articles (Democrats are not pro-Putin.) However, if you see a suspect article that we have linked to, let us know, and we'll take a look at it.
AP News: Israel’s growing frustration over the war in Gaza erupts in nationwide protests
Politico: Opinion | Americans Are Changing Their Views of Israel. That’s a Problem.
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/08/16/israel-criticism-americans-gaza-shift-00506649
Comment: "Eventually Israel could find it has a lot in common with apartheid-era South Africa."
Putin made maximalist claims to Ukrainian territory in Trump summit: Sources
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/16/putin-trump-summit-territory-claims-donetsk
The Guardian: Russia jubilant after Trump summit as Putin reportedly demands Donetsk and Luhansk
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/16/russia-jubilant-putin-alaska-summit-trump-ukraine
Comment: "Moscow feels it has the upper hand after talks end with no ceasefire in Ukraine and no sanctions imposed"
Comment: "Trump entered the high-stakes summit warning 'I won’t be happy if I walk away without some form of a ceasefire,' and threatening 'severe consequences' if Moscow refused to cooperate."
"But after a three-hour meeting with the Russian side that yielded no tangible results, Trump shelved his threats and instead said the meeting was 'extremely productive', even as Putin clung to his maximalist demands for ending the war and announced no concessions on the battlefield, where Russian forces are consolidating key gains in eastern Ukraine."
"Putin on Friday demanded Ukraine withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for ending the war, but offered Trump a freeze along the remaining frontline, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks said."
"Although Luhansk is almost entirely under Russian control, Ukraine still holds key parts of Donetsk, including the cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk and heavily fortified positions whose defence has cost tens of thousands of lives."
"Putin told Trump that in exchange for Donetsk and Luhansk, he would halt further advances and freeze the frontline in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, where Russian forces occupy significant areas."
"The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has consistently rejected giving up territory and on Saturday European allies reaffirmed that Ukraine’s borders must not be altered through force."
"On Saturday morning, Trump also publicly dropped plans for an immediate ceasefire he had himself championed for months, instead embracing Putin’s preferred path to ending the war: pushing through a far-reaching agreement before halting any fighting."
Axios: Trump-Putin summit starts on red carpet, ends in confusion
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/16/trump-putin-summit-failure-ukraine-ceasefire
Comment: "Friday's summit in Alaska began as a superpower spectacle, then abruptly ended without any indication of what was achieved or where things go from here."
"Why it matters: President Trump didn't get the ceasefire he came for, or the public commitment he wanted from Vladimir Putin to meet next with Volodymyr Zelensky. The leaders scrapped a planned lunch and departed early — but not before both declared the meeting a success."
"Between the lines: It's not hard to see why Putin likely left Anchorage satisfied. Images of Trump applauding as he walked down the red carpet were beamed back to Russia, and around the world."
Video: International reaction to Trump-Putin summit - August 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiZ5heHx7pE
Love in a cold climate: Putin romances Trump in Alaska with talk of rigged elections and a trip to Moscow | Donald Trump | The Guardian
Comment: "For those who feared the summit on Ukraine might resemble Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler in 1938, the reality was worse"
Comment: "Trump, 79, purportedly the most powerful man in the world, literally rolled out the red carpet for a Russian dictator indicted for alleged war crimes over the abduction and transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children. Putin’s troops have also been accused of indiscriminate murder, rape and torture on an appalling scale."
"In more than 100 countries, the 72-year-old would have been arrested the moment he set foot on the tarmac. In America, he was treated to a spontaneous burst of applause from the waiting Trump, who gave him a long, lingering handshake and a ride in 'the Beast', the presidential limousine."
"Putin could be seen cackling on the back seat, looking like the cat who got the cream. As a former KGB man, did he leave behind a bug or two?"
Comment: "Trump’s humiliation was complete. But all was not lost. At least no one was talking about Jeffrey Epstein or the price of vegetables."
Video: 'Cringeworthy': Fareed reacts to Trump-Putin Alaska summit - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpSThrOl45E
No ceasefire, no deal. What summit means for Trump, Putin and Ukraine - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyvd3gkg1po
Comment: "It was a roundabout way of conceding that after several hours of talks, there's no deal. No ceasefire. Nothing tangible to report."
"The president said that he and Vladimir Putin made 'some great progress', but with little details about what that might be, it's left to the world's imagination."
" 'We didn't get there,' he later said, before exiting the room without taking any questions from the hundreds of gathered reporters."
"Trump travelled a long way only to produce such vague statements, even if America's European allies and Ukrainian officials may be relieved he did not offer unilateral concessions or agreements that could have undermined future negotiations."
"For the man who likes to tout himself as a peacemaker and a dealmaker, it appears that Trump will leave Alaska with neither."
"There are also no indications that a future summit that includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is forthcoming, Putin's 'next time in Moscow' quip about their next meeting notwithstanding."
"While Trump had less at stake during these negotiations than Ukraine or Russia, it still will put a dent in his domestic and international prestige after earlier promises that this meeting had only a 25% chance of failure."
"What's more, the president had to suffer the apparent indignity of standing silent as Putin started off the press-conference-that-wasn't with extensive opening remarks. It was a marked difference than the normal routine in the Oval Office, when the US president typically holds court while his foreign counterpart looks on without comment."
"While Alaska is American territory, Putin seemed more at home in what his officials like to note was once "Russian America" before its 19th Century sale to the US. That may eat at the American president over the coming days, as will press coverage that will present this summit as a flop."
"The big question now - one reporters were unable to ask on Friday - is whether Trump will decide to impose his much-threatened new sanctions on Russia as punishment."
Comment: How many of you think that Putin manipulated Trump once again?
AP News: Trump leaves Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed after failing to reach a deal to end Ukraine war
https://apnews.com/article/trump-putin-summit-alaska-russia-ukraine-a7b167f17a3e06fbce2f583c93f8bae1
Video: Trump, Putin hold 'press conference' with no press questions - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTg1RbV_9Mo
Comment: Additional post "press conference" analysis from a different television news network
Video: Takeaways from the Trump-Putin news conference in Alaska - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8j8__Qek31Y
Comment: Analysis taken immediately after so called "news conference."
Video: Trump-Putin news conference after meeting - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/live/215aezZ2LmQ
Comment: Complete video or so called "news conference," without additional network comments or analysis
August 15, 2025: Trump-Putin summit ends without concrete deal | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-putin-meeting-news-08-15-25
Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction | Reuters
politico.eu: UN, Germany say Israeli settlement plan aimed at ‘burying’ Palestinian state is illegal
Comment: "The U.N. and Germany said a plan by the Israeli government to approve around 3,400 settlement housing units in the West Bank would breach international law."
"Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich presented the plan — which would effectively cut off the West Bank from East Jerusalem — earlier this week, saying it 'definitively buries the idea of a Palestinian state, simply because there is nothing to recognize and no one to recognize.' "
"The United Nations human rights office said Friday the plan would break the West Bank into isolated enclaves which would be illegal under international law. A spokesperson told Reuters it was 'a war crime for an occupying power to transfer its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.' ”
BBC: Putin must 'prove he is serious about peace,' says Starmer
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp37vg34g8jo
Comment: "Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky believe there is a 'viable' chance of a ceasefire in Ukraine but Vladimir Putin must 'prove he is serious about peace,' Downing Street has said."
"The UK prime minister held a breakfast meeting with the Ukrainian President ahead of a summit between US President Donald Trump and Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine."
"No 10 said Sir Keir and Zelensky agreed there was 'a powerful sense of unity and a strong resolve to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine' at their meeting."
"Zelensky and other European leaders, who are not attending the meeting in Alaska, held a joint call with Trump on Wednesday to reiterate their position."
Putin to offer financial incentives to Trump at Ukraine summit
Comment: "Russian leader plans to discuss economic ties, in appeal to Trump’s business instincts, alongside future of Ukraine:
Comment: "When Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump meet in Alaska, the Russian president will set out to woo his US counterpart and dangle financial incentives for siding with Moscow over Ukraine."
Comment: "The surprise announcement caught Kyiv and its European allies off guard but for Putin it signals a preliminary diplomatic victory: a face to face with Trump requiring no concessions, and a step towards his goal of deciding Ukraine’s future at the table with Washington."
"Key to Putin’s message on Friday will be an appeal to Trump’s business instincts. On Thursday, the Russian president’s adviser Yuri Ushakov said the leaders would discuss the 'huge untapped potential' in Russia–US economic relations."
Comment: " 'Putin knows Trump sees the world through a business lens, and will pitch a peace on his terms as the gateway to lucrative opportunities,' the former official added."
"If past encounters between the two leaders are any guide, it may be Putin, the former KGB operative, who edges the upper hand in Alaska."
" 'Trump is exactly the kind of leader Putin believes he can always strike a deal with, an authoritarian in the mould of [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan, Xi Jinping or [Narendra] Modi,' said a Russian academic close to the foreign ministry, citing the leaders of Turkey, China and India respectively."
Comment: Will Trump sell out Ukraine's sovereignty, Europe's future, and America's reputation for uncertain economic promises from Putin?
Politico: The ‘kingmaker’: Trump relishes his diplomacy as he jockeys for Nobel prize
Comment: "President Donald Trump campaigned on an 'America First' policy that rejected the United States’ traditional role of global policeman. His first 200 days in office have said otherwise."
"Trump is relishing his role as peacemaker in chief, according to a White House official granted anonymity to speak candidly about the president, believing he can make deals that have eluded his predecessors, showing simultaneously his acumen and his power – whether he’s successful or not."
" 'He loves being in the position to be a kingmaker for all of these smaller, weaker countries around the world,' the person said."
"Trump reminds audiences regularly of the wars he believes he has stopped, emphasizing how long the conflicts have raged. Last week, Trump brought the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to the White House to secure a peace agreement between the long-hostile countries, the sixth such deal of his second term, although his exact role in at least one case is in dispute."
Comment: Will Donald Trump surrender Ukraine's sovereignty to Putin in his search for the Nobel Peace Prize?
Audio: BBC: UN calls on Israel to reverse new settlement plans - August 14, 2025
https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/w172zss6qjfj8hj
Comment: There's been fierce international criticism of Israeli plans to build more than three-thousand homes in a controversial settlement in the occupied West Bank. The country's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, said the move - which will split the territory - will 'bury the idea of a Palestinian state'. Britain's foreign secretary, David Lammy, described the plan as a 'flagrant breach of international law' that 'must be stopped'."
Video: West Bank settlement plan 'buries' idea of Palestinian state: Israeli minister - August 14, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agR4iLKzrhM
NPR: Hundreds of retired air force officers protest Israel's war in Gaza
Comment: "Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets every week to protest the ongoing war in Gaza and the government's failure to bring home Israeli hostages."
"But on Tuesday, a different kind of demonstration took place: hundreds of retired Israeli Air Force pilots rallied against the war outside the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv."
CNN: Israel says it is in talks with several countries about taking in displaced Palestinians
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/14/middleeast/israel-palestinians-gaza-displaced-intl
Allies, in jab at Trump, threaten not to buy F-35s - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/13/trump-tariffs-allies-f-35-00508201
Comment: "Allies fed up with Donald Trump’s latest round of punishing tariffs and spending demands are hitting the president where it hurts — his favorite fighter jet."
"Spain, in the wake of a row with Washington over NATO’s new 5 percent defense spending goal, ditched its multibillion-dollar purchase of the stealthy F-35 fighter jet. Switzerland, reeling from steep U.S. tariffs, is facing increasing pressure across the political spectrum to drop plans for its own F-35 war planes. And India, frustrated at higher U.S. prices on its goods, has reportedly decided to pause efforts to buy American combat vehicles."
"The moves — all made in the past two weeks — show the potential consequences of Trump’s economic actions as they reverberate through allied capitals, forcing governments to reassess their defense ties with the United States. They also reinforce American industry fears that this new form of protectionism will spark retaliation, jeopardize arms sales and chip away at America’s dominance as the globe’s top defense supplier."
The Guardian: Trump alone in a room with Putin is a recipe for disaster – just look to their last meeting
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/13/trump-putin-meeting-alaska
Comment: "The lessons of Helsinki are clear: putting Donald Trump alone in a room with Vladimir Putin is an unpredictable – and often dangerous – affair."
"It was 2018 when the two leaders met at the invitation of Sauli Niinisto, the Finnish president, to discuss a collapse in US-Russia relations, accusations of elections interference, and the grinding war in east Ukraine, among other topics."
"By the time he came out of the room, Trump looked dazzled by the Kremlin leader. Asked at a press conference about the conclusions of the US intelligence community that Russia had interfered in the elections, Trump said: 'President Putin says it's not Russia. I don't see any reason why it would be.' "
"Fiona Hill, Trump’s senior Kremlin adviser on the US national security council, later said that she had considered pulling a fire alarm or faking a medical emergency to end the press conference."
Politico: ‘Trusting Trump’s instincts’: White House sets modest expectations ahead Putin summit
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/12/donald-trump-instincts-white-house-putin-summit-00504648
Comment: "White House officials are tempering expectations ahead of Friday’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, casting it as a step toward a peaceful solution to the Ukraine war and avoiding promises of a ceasefire or any other type of grand bargain."
"The goal, a White House official said, is for Trump to simply take the measure of Putin, find out if the Russian leader is serious and work toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."
"This is all about 'trusting Trump’s instincts,' said a White House official who, like others in this story, was granted anonymity to discuss the administration’s thinking."
Comment: "Trump’s willingness to take a meeting without preconditions underscores his desire to end the war and the faith he has in his own ability to suss out Putin’s intentions."
Comment: Do you trust Trump's instincts or do you think that Putin will manipulate him? Perhaps all the recent discussions with the Europeans have injected enough caution into Trump, so that he will not jump at a Putin suggested "deal" without having more knowledgeable people examine it closely. Do you think the Europeans trust Trump's instincts and judgment?
NPR: State Department slashes its annual reports on human rights
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/12/nx-s1-5495621/state-department-human-rights-reports-slashed
Comment: "The State Department released its long-awaited reports on international human rights Tuesday, and they drastically reduce the types of government repression and abuse that the United States under President Trump deems worthy of criticism."
"The agency said the 'streamlined' human rights reports adhere more closely to what's required to be in them by law. But critics say the reduced content lets authoritarians off the hook."
Comment: Giving authoritarians a free pass? Wonder why? [sarcasm added]
Comment: "The new report on El Salvador drops references to poor prison conditions — simply saying in the executive summary, 'There were no credible reports of significant human rights abuses.' The same blanket assurance appears in the executive summary for Hungary, and gone is extensive documentation of government corruption there. Violations of the freedom to peacefully assemble in China are gone."
"An NPR analysis of the documents shows this year's reports are about one-third the length of last year's. The reports on El Salvador and Moldova are more than 75% shorter."
Comment: See no evil? Hear no evil? Speak no evil?
PBS: AP report: Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
Comment: "Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas."
"Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It’s unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize U.S. President Donald Trump’s vision of relocating much of Gaza’s population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations."
Comment: "Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law."
Comment: "Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine. But they have roundly rejected any permanent resettlement from what they see as an integral part of their national homeland."
"They fear that Israel will never allow them to return, and that a mass departure would allow it to annex Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there, as called for by far-right ministers in the Israeli government."
"Still, even those Palestinians who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world’s most unstable and conflict-ridden countries."
"South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine. The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance."
Comment: "Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory."
AP News: Israel targets and kills Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif in Gaza as journalist toll grows
https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-journalist-jazeera-c7d73f1d3cfa3d24fb4ce5a294c08d32
Comment: "Israel’s military targeted and killed an Al Jazeera correspondent and others with an airstrike late Sunday in Gaza, after press advocates said an Israeli 'smear campaign' stepped up when Anas al-Sharif cried on air over starvation in the territory."
"Both Israel and hospital officials in Gaza City confirmed the deaths of al-Sharif and colleagues, which the Committee to Protect Journalists and others described as retribution against those documenting the war in Gaza. Israel’s military asserted that al-Sharif had led a Hamas cell — an allegation that Al Jazeera and al-Sharif previously dismissed as baseless."
Comment: "Officials at Shifa Hospital said those killed while sheltering outside Gaza City’s largest hospital complex also included Al Jazeera correspondent Mohamed Qreiqeh, plus four other journalists and two other people. Four of the six slain journalists were Al Jazeera staffers. The strike damaged the entrance to the complex’s emergency building."
"The airstrike occurred hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended a planned military offensive into some of Gaza’s most populated areas, including Gaza City, and said he directed the military to 'bring in more foreign journalists' to Gaza."
Comment: "Condemnation has poured in from the U.N. human rights office, the Foreign Press Association, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Press Institute and Amnesty International, among others."
"Al Jazeera called the strike a 'targeted assassination' and accused Israeli officials of incitement, connecting al-Sharif’s death to the allegations that both the network and correspondent had denied."
Comment: "Apart from rare invitations to observe Israeli military operations, international media have been barred from entering Gaza for the duration of the war. Al Jazeera is among the few outlets still fielding a big team of reporters inside the besieged strip, chronicling daily life amid airstrikes, hunger and the rubble of destroyed neighborhoods."
CNN: Here are the countries that have recognized a Palestinian state
https://www.cnn.com/world/middleeast/countries-recognize-palestinian-state-intl-vis
US and China agree to critical tariff hike extension for another 90 days, according to executive order signed by Trump | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/economy/us-china-tariff-extension
AP News: China and the US clash at the UN over the Panama Canal, a focus of Trump’s attention
https://apnews.com/article/un-us-china-panama-canal-trump-2aafbbfb0d5fdb27ce04c54a0204a10a
politico.eu: Trump to join European leaders on emergency call before Putin talks
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump will join European leaders including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an emergency virtual summit on Wednesday."
"The call, organized by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, comes ahead of Friday’s summit in Alaska between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war in Ukraine."
"The virtual summit will focus on pressure options against Russia, questions about Ukrainian territories seized by Russia, security guarantees for Kyiv and the sequencing of potential peace talks, a German government spokesperson told POLITICO."
Comment: "Merz also spoke with Trump via phone Sunday night, and has repeatedly urged the U.S. president to increase pressure on Putin by imposing crippling sanctions against Russia’s banking sector as well as secondary sanctions against Moscow’s trading partners."
"Merz told the German public broadcaster on Sunday night that 'we cannot accept that territorial issues between Russia and America are discussed or even decided over the heads of the Europeans, over the heads of the Ukrainians,' and added: 'Putin only acts under pressure.' ”
CNN: Anas Al-Sharif became the face of the war in Gaza for millions. Then Israel killed him
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/middleeast/anas-al-sharif-al-jazeera-reporter-intl
Axios: Australia will recognize a Palestinian state, PM Albanese says
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/11/australia-palestinian-state-recognize
BBC: Jeremy Bowen: Israeli settlers intensify campaign to drive out West Bank Palestinians
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj4wwxz12jko
The Guardian: Netanyahu defends Gaza City plan as UN warns of ‘calamity’ and starvation
Comment: "Israeli PM says taking over city is ‘best way’ to end war, despite condemnation from within Israel and around world"
Reuters: Vance says Ukraine peace deal unlikely to satisfy either side
Comment: Wonder how unsatisfied Vance would feel if an outside country decided to hand over a large portion of United States territory to Russia, especially after an act of Russian aggression had killed a million of our citizens?
The Guardian: Ukraine war briefing: Europe stresses protection of Ukrainian interests ahead of Trump-Putin talks
Comment: "European leaders stressed the need to keep pressure on Moscow and protect Ukrainian and European security interests after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin arranged to meet in Alaska next week. A joint statement from French, Italian, German, Polish, British and Finnish leaders and the president of the European commission welcomed the move but noted that the 'path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine' and that negotiations could take place only in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. It added: 'only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed'. They also said a resolution 'must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests', including 'the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity'."
The Guardian: Confusion over the Alaska summit shows Vladimir Putin still calls the shots
Comment: "Then came envoy Steve Witkoff’s visit to Moscow last Wednesday. Putin appears to have made no major concessions during the three-hour Kremlin meeting, and in return was rewarded not with debilitating sanctions but with an invitation to meet Trump in Alaska. The offer to thrash out a Ukrainian peace deal at a bilateral summit with Trump represents exactly the sort of great-power deal-making Putin has always craved. It will be his first trip to the US since 2007, with the exception of visits to the UN."
"Exactly how the Alaska summit will look is still unclear, with a particularly Trumpian kind of confusion and chaos accompanying its announcement. Kyiv, European capitals and even Trump’s own staff have been trying to understand what exactly was agreed in the Kremlin."
"The first announcements from the White House suggested Putin would meet Trump, followed by a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy. This was swiftly denied by Putin. As he put it, 'we are still far from creating the conditions' for a meeting with Zelenskyy. An aide denied that the Russian side had ever agreed to a three-way meeting."
"A White House source told the New York Post on Thursday that if Putin did not agree to meet Zelenskyy, the meeting with Trump would not go ahead. But a few hours later, Trump denied that: he was happy to meet Putin anyway. The back-and-forth gave the distinct impression, not for the first time, that in the relationship between Trump and Putin, it is the Russian president who calls the shots."
Europe rallies behind Ukraine after defiant Zelensky rejects any peace plan that gives up land to Russia | The Independent
CBS News: Zelenskyy says Trump-Putin summit will achieve nothing, vows Ukraine will not give up land
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-zelenskyy-trump-putin-summit-russia/
Video: CBS News: Trump says Ukraine will have to give up territory for a ceasefire, Zelenskyy says no - August 9, 2025
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/trump-ukraine-give-up-territory-ceasefire-zelenskyy-says-no/
Trump-Putin summit in Alaska resembles a slow defeat for Ukraine | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/09/europe/trump-putin-summit-analysis-2-intl
White House hasn’t ruled out Zelensky being in Alaska during Trump-Putin meeting on Friday | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/09/politics/white-house-zelensky-trump-putin-meeting
BBC: Ukraine must be part of peace solution, Zelensky says ahead of Trump-Putin meeting
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3dp119lk5xo
Putin gives Trump envoy award for CIA official's son killed fighting in Ukraine
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04rd19e5epo
Comment: "President Vladimir Putin has presented US President Donald Trump's special envoy with an award to pass on to a senior CIA official whose son was killed fighting with Russia in Ukraine."
"Putin gave the Order of Lenin to Steve Witkoff during his trip to Moscow this week to discuss a plan to end the Ukraine war, sources familiar with the matter told the BBC's US partner CBS."
"Michael Gloss, 21, who was killed in Ukraine last year, was the son of Juliane Gallina, who is the CIA's deputy director for digital innovation."
Comment: "The CIA's statement about his death four months ago said that Ms Gallina and her family had suffered 'an unimaginable personal tragedy'.
"Gloss's father, Iraq war veteran Larry Gloss, told the Washington Post in an interview this April that their son had struggled for most of his life with mental illness."
" 'Our biggest fear while we were waiting for him to be repatriated was that someone over there [in Moscow] would put two and two together and figure out who his mother was, and use him as a prop,' Larry Gloss said."
Comment: Do you still think Putin can be our friend and that Trump can manage him? Putin came out of the KGB. This is what Putin's real friends in the Russian intelligence service like to do - exploit a young man's weakness in attempt to embarrass and sow discord. The timing of this medal "presentation" from the Russians could not be more telling. It is a crude attempt at humiliation and a crude attempt to establish psychological dominance just prior to the Alaska meeting with Trump. It is a slap in the face and a reminder of who Trump is really "dealing" with - an alleged war criminal having arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court.
CNN: Analysis: Netanyahu’s Gaza takeover plan satisfies no one but himself
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/09/middleeast/nentanyahu-israel-gaza-analysis-intl
Politico: The ‘Day After’ Plan for Gaza That Netanyahu Doesn’t Want to Talk About
Comment: "Netanyahu wants us to believe, or at least wants the Trump administration to, that Israel has no alternative than to intensify the war and, in effect, reoccupy the whole of the Gaza Strip — seriously risking the lives of the hostages in the process. But this is not the case and hasn’t been for the past 18 months. Hamas was never the necessary negotiating partner, or even the counterparty, to any deal that promised to succeed. Netanyahu must know that."
"When the international community and Israeli military experts — who, now famously, oppose continuing the war — have demanded that Netanyahu stipulate a “day after” plan for Gaza, what they have really been referring to is an option that has been on the table since shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks. The key partner in that plan is both the obvious choice and the one Netanyahu has, for annexationist reasons, put off the table since 2009: the Palestinian Authority."
Video: 'TACO' Trump appears to surrender to Putin in advance; replaces ultimatum with concession meeting - August 8, 2025
Trump says he'll meet Putin in Alaska next week.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/politics/trump-putin-meeting
NPR: U.S. Islamic leaders urge Muslim-majority nations to take action to end Gaza conflict
Comment: "More than 90 Muslim scholars, imams, community leaders and institutions in the United States have issued a joint statement calling on Muslim-majority countries to take 'immediate and concrete action' to end what they described as an escalating genocide in Gaza by Israeli forces."
"The signatories called on Muslim nations — particularly Arab states — to leverage their political and economic influence, including through measures such as severing ties with Israel, imposing oil and gas embargoes and opening border crossings for humanitarian aid."
" 'Business as usual in international affairs is simply not working,' the statement read. 'We believe that the governments of the Muslim-majority nations of the world should not wait for the 'international community' to grow a conscience.' "
Comment: Please note that there was no call for violence, war, jihad, etc., only diplomatic and economic measures.
ABC News: Trump directs Pentagon to prepare options to use to use force against against drug cartels: Officials
Comment: "President Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to prepare options for the possible use of U.S. military force against drug cartels designated as terrorist organizations, two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News on Friday."
"One official said that any possible use of U.S. military assets is not imminent."
"It remains unclear exactly what the authorization will allow and what military operations would be considered as potential options that the U.S. military has been authorized to prepare. There are sure to be questions about the legality of such operations."
Comment: "Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum on Friday dismissed the idea of the U.S. military targeting drug cartels in Mexican territory."
" 'The United States is not going to come to Mexico with the military. We cooperate, we coordinate but there won't be an invasion... that is ruled out,' Sheinbaum said when responding to a question on reports about Trump directing the military to prepare military options against the cartels."
"In February, the Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, MS-13 and other drug cartels as global terrorist organizations following an executive order signed by Trump in January."
"Appearing on EWTN on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that designation allows the administration to use various means against the cartels which he described as being armed like terrorist or armies that control territory."
Politico: ‘He is completely upset’: Why Trump scrapped an India trade deal
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/08/trump-india-trade-deal-00499251
Comment: "An early White House visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led to months of negotiations. By July, the Indians believed they had struck an agreement and that Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were simply waiting on President Donald Trump’s approval."
"It never came."
"Instead, Indian goods now face a 50 percent tariff after Trump hit the country with a 25 percent levy on its goods and then followed up with an additional 25 percent to dissuade it from buying Russian oil that was set to kick in later this month, a one-two punch on New Delhi and Moscow. The Russian oil purchases — coupled with Trump’s view that India was not lowering its own import tariffs enough — sank the deal."
"The unraveling of what had appeared to be a promising trade dynamic between the U.S. and one of the world’s fastest-rising economies illustrates the precarious nature of crafting an economic partnership with a mercurial Trump administration that has freely used high tariff rates to try to bend the world to its will."
Politico: Huckabee cites Dresden bombing to defend Israel’s Gaza offensive
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/08/mike-huckabee-gaza-dresden-00499711
Comment: "The U.S. ambassador to Israel repeatedly mentioned the World War II bombing campaign in interviews and on social media."
Comment: "In an appearance on 'Fox and Friends' early Friday morning, Huckabee sought to defend Israel’s aggressive military operation in the Gaza Strip, which has drawn significant outcry from global allies and even prompted accusations of genocide from international human rights organizations and within MAGA circles back home."
" 'They never get credit for the things they do to try to prevent civilian loss of life,' Huckabee told Fox News. 'Can you tell me anywhere in the history of the world where a country that was attacked in war was expected to feed the country that attacked them and gets criticized if they didn’t do it as efficiently or as readily as the critics said?' ”
"Huckabee then directed his criticism to the United Kingdom, whose Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday led a chorus of international voices condemning Israel’s planned escalation of military operations in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that it could include a full occupation of Gaza."
Comment: Is Huckabee working as our ambassador to Israel or as the ambassador for Israel?
AP News: US has 'no plans' to recognize Palestinian state, Vance says before talks with UK foreign secretary
Comment: "U.S. Vice President JD Vance met with U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday at a stately home south of London, with the two leaders saying the agenda includes global economics and the Israel-Hamas war and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine."
"Taking questions from reporters before their talks, Vance addressed the U.K. decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, saying he wasn’t sure what such recognition would even mean, 'given the lack of a functional government there.' ”
"Asked whether Trump had been given a heads up on Israel’s announced intent to occupy Gaza City, Vance said he wouldn’t go into such conversations."
Germany halts arms exports that Israel can use in Gaza | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-halts-arms-exports-that-israel-can-use-gaza-2025-08-08/
Comment: "Germany is to suspend exports of weaponry that could be used in the Gaza Strip because of Israel's plan to expand its operations there - the first time united Germany has acknowledged denying military support to its long-time ally."
"Chancellor Friedrich Merz's sudden about turn on Friday followed mounting pressure from the public and his junior coalition partner over the manmade humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Israel has severely restricted supplies of food and water."
BBC: Keir Starmer condemns Israel's plan to take over Gaza City
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2kyg0g8kxo
Comment: "Israel's plans to take over Gaza City are 'wrong' and 'will only bring more bloodshed', Sir Keir Starmer has said."
"The prime minister urged the Israeli government to immediately reconsider its decision 'to further escalate its offensive in Gaza', after Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approved the plans overnight by a majority vote."
"Netanyahu had earlier said he wanted to take control of the whole of the Gaza strip but the approved plan focuses specifically on Gaza City, the largest city in the enclave."
Reuters: Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take control of Gaza City
Comment: "Israel's security cabinet approved a plan to take control of Gaza City, a move expanding military operations in the shattered Palestinian territory that drew strong fresh criticism at home and abroad on Friday over its pursuit of the almost two-year-old war."
"Germany, a key European ally, announced it would halt exports of military equipment to Israel that could be used in Gaza, a decision Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called disappointing. Britain and other European allies urged Israel to reconsider its decision to escalate the Gaza military campaign."
"However, U.S. President Donald Trump's ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, told Reuters that some countries appeared to be putting pressure on Israel rather than on the militant group Hamas, whose deadly attack on Israel in 2023 ignited the war."
Comment: "Far-right allies in the prime minister's coalition have been pushing for a total takeover of Gaza as part of his vow to eradicate Hamas militants, though the military has warned this could endanger the lives of remaining hostages held by militants."
Reuters: Exclusive: India pauses plans to buy US arms after Trump's tariffs
Israel's Cabinet approves new plan to occupy Gaza City
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/07/netanyahu-israel-occupy-gaza-strip-hamas
CNN: Five ways the Russia-Ukraine war could end
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/europe/analysis-how-russia-ukraine-war-ends-latam-intl
AP News: Putin hopes to travel overseas to meet Trump despite arrest warrant for war crimes
Trump is open to meeting with Putin for peace talks without Zelenskyy
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/06/nx-s1-5494335/putin-witkoff-trump-envoy-russia-ukraine-war
Comment: "President Trump says he is willing to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, without requiring Putin to also meet with Ukraine's leader."
"The Kremlin said earlier that Putin would hold bilateral talks with Trump in the coming days but did not agree to a White House envoy's suggestion that they have a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy."
"Asked by reporters Thursday if Putin needed to meet with Zelenskyy as well, the U.S. president said, 'No he doesn't.' He continued, 'They would like to meet with me, and I'll do whatever I can to stop the killing.' "
Comment: Do you think that the Russians want to meet with Trump without Zelenskyy because they think they can easily manipulate him? Already, the Russians have nixed the U.S. suggestion that Zelenskyy be included. Do you think Trump should be allowed to unilaterally negotiate the future of Ukraine's sovereignty, without the involvement of their country's leader? Do you think this is a formula for lasting peace, or an attempt by Trump to obtain his coveted Nobel Peace Prize, at the expense of the Ukrainian people?
CNN: Israeli military chief warns against takeover of Gaza as Netanyahu considers ‘full conquest’ of besieged territory
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/middleeast/israel-gaza-conquest-military-netanyahu-intl
Trump hikes India tariffs to 50% for buying Russian oil
Comment: "President Donald Trump said he was doubling tariffs on India from 25% to 50%."
Comment: "A 50% tariff on India would be among the highest on any trading partner in the world. The only countries with tariffs as high as India's is set to be are Brazil at 50%, Syria at 41%, Myanmar at 40% and Switzerland's which is set at 39%."
Trump says 'great progress' made on Ukraine at US-Russia talks as ceasefire deadline looms
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr5rdl1y8ndo
Comment: "US President Donald Trump says 'great progress' has been made over Ukraine during talks between his envoy, Steve Witkoff, and Russian President Vladimir Putin."
"Trump also described the meeting as 'highly productive' in a post on his Truth Social platform."
"The Kremlin earlier issued a vague statement about the talks, with foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov saying the two sides had exchanged 'signals' as part of 'constructive' talks in Moscow."
Comment: How many of you are thinking that Putin has fooled Trump once again?
PBS: Russia will no longer abide by self-imposed moratorium on intermediate-range missiles
Comment: "Russia has declared that it no longer considers itself bound by a self-imposed moratorium on the deployment of nuclear-capable intermediate range missiles, a warning that potentially sets the stage for a new arms race as tensions between Moscow and Washington rise again over Ukraine."
"In a statement Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry linked the decision to efforts by the U.S. and its allies to develop intermediate range weapons and preparations for their deployment in Europe and other parts of the world. It specifically cited U.S. plans to deploy Typhoon and Dark Eagle missiles in Germany starting next year."
The Times of Israel: US Speaker Mike Johnson dines with Netanyahu in West Bank settlement of Shiloh
Comment: "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara dined Monday evening with US House Speaker Mike Johnson and his wife in the West Bank settlement of Shiloh, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement Tuesday."
"The dinner was also attended by US Ambassador Mike Huckabee and his wife, as well as Republican members of Congress Michael McCaul, Claudia Tenney, Michael Cloud and Nathaniel Moran. Israel Ganz, who leads the Yesha Council as well as the Binyamin Regional Council in the West Bank, was also present."
"The dinner occurred as Johnson, by traveling to Ariel and Shiloh on Monday, became the most senior US official to ever visit a West Bank settlement. In past decades, leaders in both parties advocated for a two-state solution, and visits to settlements were seen as taboo."
Comment: Do you think the meeting location in the West Bank tends to undermine the Palestinian Authority, who is supposed to administer the West Bank?
Axios: Trump plans to "take over" Gaza aid effort, U.S. officials say
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/05/trump-gaza-aid-takeover-witkoff-meeting
Comment: Special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump discussed plans for the U.S. to significantly increase its role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza in a meeting Monday evening at the White House, according to two U.S. officials and an Israeli official with knowledge of the issue."
"Special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump discussed plans for the U.S. to significantly increase its role in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza in a meeting Monday evening at the White House, according to two U.S. officials and an Israeli official with knowledge of the issue."
The Guardian: Israeli cabinet meeting postponed as tensions rise over Netanyahu’s occupation plan
Comment: "An Israeli security cabinet meeting, which had been expected to discuss Benjamin Netanyahu’s call for the 'full occupation' of Gaza, has been postponed amid mounting tensions over whether the plan is feasible."
Comment: Any move towards full occupation is likely to be strongly resisted by large parts of the international community, already horrified by the conduct of Israel’s military campaign."
"Israel’s scorched-earth campaign has already obliterated large parts of Gaza, killing more than 60,000 people, mostly civilians, forcing nearly all of Gaza’s more than 2 million people from their homes and causing what a global hunger monitor last week called an unfolding famine."
"That has caused widespread international anger and prompted several European countries to say they would recognise a Palestinian state next if there was no ceasefire, amid mounting calls for sanctions against Israel."
NBC News: Israel's Netanyahu expected to push for plan to 'occupy' Gaza
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/gaza/israel-netanyahu-gaza-expected-occupy-plan-rcna223060
Comment: "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to push to 'occupy all of the Gaza Strip' as ceasefire talks with Hamas founder and the hunger crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave spirals."
"A bid by Netanyahu to occupy all of Gaza would follow similar calls from members of his far-right government upon whom his fragile coalition relies, and could mark a significant shift in policy since Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005."
"Officials from Netanyahu's office said in a statement shared with NBC News on Monday night that the Israeli leader had decided to 'occupy all of the Gaza Strip, including areas where hostages may be held.' "
Comment: "The United States remains the biggest supplier of arms to Israel, with American spending on Israel's military operations reaching more than $17.9 billion from Oct. 7 last year to Sept. 30, according to Brown University’s Costs of War Project."
Comment: "There is mounting opposition to the war among Israelis. Many have long despaired over the fate of of the estimated 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza, and recent protests have expressed outrage over the children dying from malnutrition."
Comment: "Earlier this month, a group representing hundreds of retired Israeli security officials that calls itself the Commanders for Israel’s Security’s leadership addressed a letter to President Donald Trump calling on him to pressure Israel to end the war."
CNN: Israel considers expanding Gaza war as ceasefire talks reach an impasse
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/04/middleeast/israel-gaza-war-expansion-intl
AP News: State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 to enter the US
https://apnews.com/article/state-department-visa-bond-d532b186abf6e39c621d1bd0995d7509
Comment: "The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many."
Comment: Wonder how these new bonds will adversely impact U.S. tourism, international business relations, and diplomacy in general?
Axios: Netanyahu moves to fire attorney general prosecuting him for corruption
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/04/netanyahu-fire-israel-attorney-general-trial
Comment: Trump and Netanyahu - Birds of a feather?
AP News: Modi and Trump once called each other good friends. Now the US-India relationship is getting bumpy
https://apnews.com/article/india-us-modi-trump-tariffs-relationship-575af0f270713fa6b09f4ed4e2848f21
ABC News: China pushes back at US demands to stop buying Russian and Iranian oil
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory/china-pushes-back-us-demands-stop-buying-russian-124333719
Video: U.S. special envoy to visit Russia as Trump’s ceasefire deadline looms - August 3, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n97uzVOrT8w
CBS News: Palestinian-American dies of smoke inhalation in West Bank after settlers set fires to cars, homes
Comment: "A Palestinian American died in the Israeli-occupied West Bank last week after a confrontation with settlers, U.S. officials confirmed."
"Khamis Ayyad, who was in his 40s, died Thursday from smoke inhalation in Silwad, a village in the central West Bank near several Israeli settlements, a U.S. official told CBS News. The Palestinian health ministry said on Friday that the fires were set by settlers on homes and vehicles in Silwad, according to the Agence France-Presse."
"A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBS News the death on Sunday and condemned what they called 'criminal violence by any party.' "
Comment: "Witnesses said Israeli forces fired live rounds and tear gas toward residents after the settlers attacked."
CNN: A viable Palestinian state remains far off, despite growing international clamor
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/02/middleeast/palestinian-state-israel-uk-france-canada-intl
Video: Trump moves two nuclear submarines closer to Russia - August 2, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd6SCj27BTc
India to maintain Russian oil imports despite Trump threats, government sources say
https://share.google/rINHTrCK9qKEVp0HF
Comment: "India will keep purchasing oil from Russia despite U.S. President Donald Trump's threats of penalties, two Indian government sources told Reuters on Saturday, not wishing to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter."
"On top of a new 25% tariff on India's exports to the U.S., Trump indicated in a Truth Social post last month that India would face additional penalties for purchases of Russian arms and oil. On Friday, Trump told reporters he had heard that India would no longer be buying oil from Russia."
CNN: Putin says Russia’s hypersonic missile has entered service and will be deployed in Belarus
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/europe/russia-oreshnik-hypersonic-missile-belarus-latam-intl
Comment: Belarus borders Ukraine to the north.
CNN: Trump’s tariffs are sending African countries into China’s hands
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/02/africa/trumps-tariffs-africa-and-china-intl
NPR: More than 1,000 rabbis and Jewish leaders denounce starvation in Gaza
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/01/nx-s1-5486700/humanitarian-aid-gaza-starvation
Comment: "More than 1,000 rabbis and other Jewish leaders from around the globe, including in Israel and the U.S., have signed a public letter urging Israel to allow extensive humanitarian aid into Gaza."
"The letter denounces Israel's 'mass killings of civilians' and 'the use and threat of starvation as a weapon of war.' The Jewish leaders say Israel's actions damage not just the country's reputation, but Judaism itself."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports of starvation in Gaza. However, the letter calls upon Netanyahu and the Israeli government 'to respect all innocent life.' "
BBC: US to impose sanctions on Palestinian organisations
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8ryjpjrvddo
Reuters: Trump escalates trade war with Canada following Palestine stance
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his trade war with Canada a day ahead of his August 1 deadline for a tariff agreement, saying it would be 'very hard' to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood."
"Trump is set to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if the two countries do not reach an agreement by the deadline."
Trump and Africa: Is it legal for US to deport foreign criminals to the continent? - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpwqwp89kjpo
NPR: What Trump's threat to tariff Russia's trade partners means for India
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/31/nx-s1-5484218/trump-russia-tariff-oil-india
Comment: "The United States will impose 25% tariffs on Indian goods starting in August, Trump said on social media on Wednesday. Also, he added, 'they have always bought a vast majority of their military equipment from Russia, and are Russia's largest buyer of ENERGY, along with China, at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE.' He said there will be 'a penalty' for that."
"Earlier this month, Trump warned Russia to stop its war in Ukraine or else its trading partners would be hit with 100% 'secondary tariffs.' That came as U.S. lawmakers have been working on a bill that would allow an even tougher punishment of up to 500% tariffs."
Lula’s Defiance Pays Off as Trump Blinks on Brazil Tariffs
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lula-defiance-pays-off-trump-113119274.html
Comment: "Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s defiant response to Donald Trump’s 50% tariff threat was validated Wednesday — at least in the short term — with markets and businesses breathing a collective sigh of relief at the long list of exemptions to the levies."
Comment: "Some of Brazil’s biggest exports to the US, from civilian aircrafts to orange juice, won’t face increases beyond the 10% rate previously imposed, softening the blow of tariffs Trump now plans to implement next week instead of Friday."
Comment: "In Lula’s eyes, Trump’s decision has brought at least some trade rationality back to the discussions, even if he still regards the dispute as primarily political in nature, one Brazilian official familiar with the situation said."
Comment: "Itau now estimates that Brazilian goods will face an effective tariff rate of about 30%, Fernando Goncalves, the bank’s head economic research, said in an interview."
The Guardian: Brazil’s president Lula hits back as Trump tariffs threaten US trade showdown
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/30/us-brazil-lula-trump-tariffs
Comment: "Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says he won’t be cowed by Trump ahead of 50% tariffs set to hit Brazil"
Comment: "Trump announced plans to slap Brazil with tariffs on 1 August earlier this month, partly in retaliation for a supposed political 'witch-hunt' against his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro. The former Brazilian president faces decades in jail for allegedly plotting a military coup to stop Lula from taking office after the former lost the 2022 presidential election."
Comment: What does a "political 'witch hunt' " in Brazil have to do with Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to usurp Congress's constitutional authority to impose tariffs? This exposes the fact that there is no economic emergency that justifies Trump to unilaterally impose tariffs. That is the responsibility of the U.S. Congress.
CNN: Arab states call on Hamas to disarm and relinquish power in unprecedented move
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/middleeast/arab-league-hamas-gaza-israel-intl
NBC News: Ontario cancels internet deal with Musk's Starlink as part of US tariff fight
Comment: "The Canadian province of Ontario has canceled a C$100 million ($68.12 million) satellite high-speed internet contract with Elon Musk’s company Starlink, following through with a vow by the province’s premier to cut ties in retaliation for U.S. tariffs imposed on Canada."
CNN: Canada intends to recognize Palestinian state in September, Prime Minister Carney says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/30/world/canada-recognize-palestinian-state-september-intl-latam
Macron: EU–US tariff deal is 'not the end of the story'
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/macron-eu-us-tariff-deal-161013984.html
Comment: "French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday that the recent tariff agreement between the United States and the European Union is only the beginning of a longer negotiation process."
"Speaking at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Macron described the deal as a first step and 'not the end of the story,' according to multiple French media reports."
"It was his first public comment on Sunday's agreement, which came after last-minute talks between US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland."
The Times of Israel: 22 ministers, lawmakers demand Katz allow settlement group to tour northern Gaza, check locations for future settlements
Comment: "Twenty-two cabinet ministers and coalition lawmakers sign a letter asking Defense Minister Israel Katz to approve a tour of northern Gaza by settlement groups in order to examine possible sites for future Israeli settlements."
Comment: " 'The demand is being made as part of the call to settle the northern sector as an immediate first step toward reconquest, expulsion, and settlement of the entire Gaza Strip,' it says."
" 'The northern border was conquered and expelled — now is the time to settle.' ”
Comment: How do feel about U.S. arms and diplomatic support being given to an Israeli government suggesting this type of land grab?
UK to recognize Palestinian state as Netanyahu considers annexing parts of Gaza
Comment: "U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Tuesday that his nation will recognize the state of Palestine at a United Nations meeting in September if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza."
" 'Today, as part of this process towards peace, I can confirm the U.K. will recognize the state of Palestine by the United Nations General Assembly in September, unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, agree to a ceasefire and commit to a long-term sustainable peace, reviving the prospect of a two-state solution,' Starmer said at a news conference."
" 'This includes allowing the U.N. to restart the supply of aid and making clear that there will be no annexations in the West Bank,' he continued."
The Times of Israel: UK to recognize Palestinian state in Sept. unless Israel ends Gaza war, commits to peace
Comment: "British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the UK would recognize a Palestinian state in September unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the war and humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, and meets several other conditions, including recommitting to a viable peace process."
"The decision, which was relayed by Starmer to his cabinet and then to the public by way of a statement at 10 Downing Street, was swiftly condemned by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who declared the move 'rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism.' "
"The announcement marked a major diplomatic challenge for Israel, coming days after France said it would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September."
Video: Expert explains Russia’s reaction to Trump’s new deadline for peace in Ukraine - July 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id5XsIRneaE
AP News: France calls on the EU to pressure Israel to come to the table on Palestinian two-state solution
https://apnews.com/article/un-palestinians-israel-twostate-solution-afd1fff5eb30062bbc6137643310f2b3
Reuters: Out-gunned Europe accepts least-worst US trade deal
https://www.reuters.com/business/out-gunned-europe-accepts-least-worst-us-trade-deal-2025-07-27/
AP News: Trump says he’s shortening the 50-day deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday he is giving Russian President Vladimir Putin 10 to 12 days to stop the killing in Ukraine, shortening a 50-day deadline he had given the Russian leader two weeks ago."
Comment: "Trump had said on July 14 that he would implement 'severe tariffs' on Russia unless a peace deal is reached by early September. On Monday, Trump said he would now give Putin 10 to 12 days, meaning he wants peace efforts to make progress by Aug. 7-9."
"The plan includes possible sanctions and secondary tariffs targeting Russia’s trading partners. The formal announcement would come later Monday or on Tuesday, Trump said."
Comment: We'll see if Trump follows through this time.
Trump says he does not endorse Netanyahu’s claim there is no starvation in Gaza | Donald Trump | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/28/trump-netanyahu-starvation-gaza
Comment: "Donald Trump has said he believes there is a famine in Gaza and he has told Israel that 'maybe they have to do it in a different way.' ”
Comment: Given the gravity of the situation, would you like to see a more forceful statement from the President?
Israel’s leader claims no one in Gaza is starving. Data and witnesses disagree
For first time, two leading Israeli human rights groups accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza | CNN
Reuters: French PM says EU-US trade deal an act of 'submission' and a dark day for Europe
EU's pledge for $250 billion of US energy imports is delusional | Reuters
Comment: "But more important than the 15% tariff rate was the apparent commitment by the EU to massively ramp up energy imports from the United States."
"The agreement calls for EU imports of U.S. energy, which currently are mainly crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), of $250 billion a year for three years."
"This is a delusional level of imports that the EU has virtually no chance of meeting, and one that U.S. producers would also struggle to supply."
"Even if the EU did manage somehow to boost its energy imports from the United States to the $250 billion a year mark, it would also prove massively disruptive for energy flows around the rest of the world."
CNN: Trump announces US and EU reached framework for a trade deal
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/27/business/trump-us-eu-trade-deal
Comment: What does "framework" mean? Is the deal finalized and enforceable?
Trump, EU’s von der Leyen strike trade deal for 15 percent tariffs
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5422634-trump-eu-trade-deal-tariffs/
Comment: "President Trump and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal on Sunday, setting tariffs at 15 percent for European goods, including automobiles."
"The European Union will purchase $750 billion worth of energy from the U.S. as part of the deal, Trump announced, and agreed to invest in the U.S. $600 billion more than the current investments for other goods."
"The agreement is lower than the 30 percent tariff Trump had threatened to impose on the EU, which would have begun on Aug. 1, and avoids a trade war with the U.S.’s largest trading partner."
Comment: Is the U.S. consumer ready to pay the 15% tariff imposed on imports from the European Union?
Video: In a sharp reversal, Israel says it will open secure routes for aid trucks into Gaza - July 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPQ8k5wtTAc
Trump tells Israel to ‘finish the job’ against Hamas weeks after suggesting ceasefire deal in sight | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/25/politics/donald-trump-israel-hamas-war
The Guardian: Israel trying to deflect blame for widespread starvation in Gaza
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/25/israel-deflect-blame-starvation-gaza-hunger
Comment: "Israel is pursuing an extensive PR effort to remove itself from blame for the starvation and killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza in the face of overwhelming evidence that it is responsible."
"As dozens of governments, UN organisations and other international figures have detailed Israel’s culpability, officials and ministers in Israel have attempted to suggest that there is no hunger in Gaza, that if hunger exists it is not Israel’s fault, or to blame Hamas or the UN and aid organisations for problems with distribution of aid."
"The Israeli effort has continued even as one of its own government ministers, the far-right heritage minister, Amichai Eliyahu, appeared to describe an unapologetic policy of starvation, genocide and ethnic cleansing that Israel has denied and said is not official policy."
Video: Trump Says France’s Recognition of Palestine as a State ‘Doesn’t Carry Any Weight’ - July 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyld-GBB2HY
AP News: How France’s recognition of the state of Palestine could shift Middle East dynamics
Comment: "France’s bold decision to recognize the state of Palestine could help to shift conversations about the future of the Middle East, even if it’s unlikely to have an immediate impact for people in Gaza or on Israel’s war with Hamas."
Comment: "Macron has levers to influence world affairs as leader of a nuclear-armed, economically and diplomatically powerful country that also sits at the big table at the United Nations, as one of the five permanent members of its security council."
Reuters: Exclusive: USAID analysis found no evidence of massive Hamas theft of Gaza aid
Comment: "An internal U.S. government analysis found no evidence of systematic theft by the Palestinian militant group Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.S. give for backing a new armed private aid operation."
Comment: "The U.N. World Food Program says nearly a quarter of Gaza’s 2.1 million Palestinians face famine-like conditions, thousands are suffering acute malnutrition, and the World Heath Organization and doctors in the enclave report starvation deaths of children and others."
"The U.N. also estimates that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 people seeking food supplies, the majority near the militarized distribution sites of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the new private aid group that uses a for-profit U.S. logistics firm run by a former CIA officer and armed U.S. military veterans."
ABC News: 'They're losing hope': What doctors, aid workers are seeing in Gaza amid hunger crisis
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/theyre-losing-hope-doctors-aid-workers-gaza-amid/story?id=124031357
NPR: State Dept. cuts China experts as administration says countering Beijing top priority
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5477523/state-department-cuts-china-experts
Comment: "The State Department fired its top experts on the South China Sea and shuttered the office with a key focus on Indo-Pacific security amid a sweeping reorganization earlier this month, leaving gaps in knowledge and experience that are critical to U.S. interests in the region."
"The cut comes as members of President Trump's administration, as well as both Democratic and Republican lawmakers, continue to say security and free navigation of the South China Sea — a busy shipping passage for global trade — remain a priority."
Video: U.N.'s top court says countries must address climate change or face legal action - July 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh9EYP5N9ug
The Guardian: ‘We faced hunger before, but never like this’: skeletal children fill hospital wards as starvation grips Gaza
Comment: "For months Israel kept food shipments to Gaza far below starvation rations. Now the death toll is rising rapidly"
Axios: U.S. again withdraws from UNESCO, citing anti-Israel bias and "woke" causes
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/trump-unesco-withdrawal
Comment: "Why it matters: This is the third UN agency the Trump administration is withdrawing from following earlier decisions to leave the World Health Organization and the Human Rights Council."
"The move further decreases the United States' footprint and influence in international organizations, and experts say the nation's exit will allow China to increase its influence on the UN system."
theguardian.com: Cardinal calls Israel’s policy in Gaza ‘morally unjustifiable’ after visit
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/22/cardinal-pizzaballa-gaza-visit-israel-criticism
Comment: "Pierbattista Pizzaballa condemns blocks on food and warns against plans to force Palestinians to leave territory"
Comment: "Israel’s government is pursuing an 'unacceptable and morally unjustifiable' policy in Gaza, the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem has said after visiting a church in the territory that was attacked by Israeli forces last week and meeting survivors."
Western nations slam Israel’s ‘drip feeding of aid’ to Gaza as health ministry says 1,000 killed seeking supplies | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/21/middleeast/western-nations-israel-gaza-aid-latam-intl
Video: Trump White House reportedly growing increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu - July 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQPrayiAhqg
ABC News: Scale of Russia-Ukraine drone strikes builds ahead of possible ceasefire talks
The Guardian: Pope condemns Gaza war’s ‘barbarity’ as 93 reported killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/20/pope-condemns-barbarity-of-israel-war-gaza
Video: Trump’s 50-day Russian sanctions pause will cost more lives — and achieve nothing | Hot Takes - July 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByanAoYTMhA
Exclusive: Trade partners have realized America is ‘simply not reliable’ after Trump’s tariff regime, says Elizabeth Warren—believing impact will be felt for generations to come
https://fortune.com/2025/07/19/elizabeth-warren-trade-tariff-trump/
CNN: More than 30 killed after Israeli forces open fire on people seeking food in Gaza, health ministry says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/19/middleeast/israel-gaza-food-aid-shooting-intl
State Department official testifies how Stephen Miller was involved in discussions over student visas and antisemitism
https://www.yahoo.com/news/state-department-official-testifies-stephen-194820929.html
Comment: "The State Department had more than a dozen meetings with the White House – including Stephen Miller, President Donald Trump’s White House deputy chief of staff – and other agencies to discuss the topic of student visas, a top department official said in federal court on Friday."
Comment: "John Armstrong, the senior bureau official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, described to a judge how the State Department used broad definitions of antisemitism when scrutinizing the speech and activities of non-citizen students and professors the department chose to attempt to remove from the US."
"Armstrong appeared toward the end of a two-week trial in which a group of university professors who say the administration’s efforts to deport individuals over their anti-Israel views is intended to limit protected political speech."
Government memo on pro-Palestinian protesters cautioned that authority Rubio used to strip visas would face scrutiny
Comment: "Action memos on pro-Palestinian protesters sent by government officials to Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the authority he used to strip their visas had never before been used and would likely face scrutiny, a government official testified in court Friday."
"Rubio used what the government says is his authority to find someone deportable 'if the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe that the alien's presence or activities in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States,' citing the Immigration and Nationality Act."
"A section of a government memo that was read in court noted 'it is likely that courts will closely scrutinize this determination' because the basis of it could be considered 'protected speech.' "
Comment: Do you think the Trump Administration cares anything about "protected speech", especially that of a non-citizen protesting Israeli actions?
Rubio Tells All U.S. Diplomats They Have to Talk Like Trump
https://www.yahoo.com/news/rubio-tells-u-diplomats-talk-114255963.html
Comment: "Marco Rubio has instructed U.S. diplomats not to comment on the legitimacy or fairness of foreign elections, breaking with decades of American diplomatic practice."
Comment: "Diplomatic personnel writing official messages are instead instructed to ask themselves: 'Would the President say this?' "
"The move marks a wider shift by the Trump administration to downplay the promotion of democracy and human rights around the globe, as the president increasingly cosies up to autocratic leaders and pushes his 'America First' approach to foreign policy."
Axios: Scoop: Israel seeks U.S. help on deals to move Palestinians out of Gaza
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/18/israel-send-palestinians-gaza-indonesia-ethiopia
Comment: "The director of Israel's Mossad spy agency visited Washington this week seeking U.S. help in convincing countries to take hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza, two sources with knowledge of issue tell Axios."
"The spy chief, David Barnea, told White House envoy Steve Witkoff that Israel has been speaking in particular with Ethiopia, Indonesia and Libya."
"Why it matters: The Israeli government's goal of removing much of Gaza's population is hugely controversial. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government claims such a 'relocation' would be 'voluntary,' U.S. and Israeli legal experts have labeled it a war crime."
In the birthplace of Christianity, churches and communities are coming under attack from Jewish settlers
Comment: "But after centuries of perseverance, the Christian community now faces a modern existential threat only a few miles from where its members’ faith was forged: regular, violent harassment by Jewish settlers who would like to force them and Palestinians of other faiths to leave, and an Israeli government that often turns a blind eye to the settlers’ crimes, according to rights groups and church leaders."
The State Department Guts Its Office Combating Human Trafficking – Mother Jones
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/human-trafficking-state-department-jeffrey-epstein/
Comment: "As President Donald Trump takes a beating from his own MAGA crowd for his handling of the case of Jeffrey Epstein, the deceased pedophile and sex trafficker, his State Department pulled a surprising move: It decimated its office combating human trafficking."
"As part of a downsizing, the Trump administration on Friday cut 1,353 positions at State, about 15 percent of its Washington-based staff, and the largest reduction in decades. This Reduction in Force (RIF) targeted foreign policy goals that don’t align with MAGA values. This included closing or eviscerating entire offices that promote democracy, combat genocide and violent extremism, help resolve armed conflicts, and supported women’s rights. Among them was the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, known as the TIP Office."
Video: New assessment shows U.S. strikes only destroyed one of three Iranian nuclear sites - July 17, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Llj4qtI99s
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: State Department addresses decision to destroy 500 tons of emergency food
Comment: "The State Department is defending its plans to destroy approximately 500 tons of taxpayer-funded emergency food resources, arguing that it represents only a small portion of the food aid the U.S. distributes each year."
"The high-energy, nutrient-dense biscuits have been stockpiled at a Dubai warehouse for months and are set to expire this month, officials familiar with the situation confirmed to ABC News earlier this week."
Comment: "While the remaining stores might also have been transferred or distributed, officials said that contributing factors including USAID staff cuts, policies implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency, and other logistical hurdles had run out the clock."
Comment: Does the destruction of 500 tons of food sound like "government efficiency" to you?
Israel strikes Syria's capital, Damascus, pledging to defend Druze minorities
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/16/nx-s1-5469794/israel-strikes-damascus-syria
Comment: "The fighting comes at a delicate time. The United States has lifted most of its sanctions on Syria and has had warming relations with the Sharaa government. The U.S. has also worked on diplomatic efforts to improve ties between its close ally Israel and Syria."
"U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that the administration was 'very worried about the violence in southern Syria' and remained in 'constant talks' with officials from Israel and Syria. 'We have agreed on specific steps that will bring this troubling and horrifying situation to an end tonight,' Rubio said on social media."
Comment: Since the US supplies much of Israel's weapons, why can't the US exert some leverage in stopping Israeli attacks on a country (new Syrian government) that the US is trying to have a better relationship with?
CNN: US envoy to Israel tells Ireland to ‘sober up’ over occupied Palestinian territories bill
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/16/europe/us-envoy-ireland-palestinian-territories-bill-intl
Comment: " Ireland appears closer to passing a bill that will ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements in occupied territories in the West Bank, sparking sharp criticism from US officials who have signaled the move could harm Dublin’s relationship with Washington."
"US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused Ireland of 'diplomatic intoxication' Tuesday in a sharp rebuke of the draft legislation, invoking a derogatory stereotype of the Irish people."
Comment: Is evangelical Mike Huckabee acting like a US ambassador to Israel or an ambassador for Israel? Whose interests is Huckabee representing?
Video: State Dept. Official Asked Why Israel Ambassador Huckabee Attended Netanyahu's Corruption Trial - July 16, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tP9vP1CF18
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: Trump is signaling a change on Ukraine. What does it mean for Putin?: ANALYSIS
Comment: "If Trump now permits a substantial amount of U.S. weapons to continue to flow to Ukraine, that would mark an important change. Since Trump took office, many in Ukraine and European capitals have thought that might well be the best-case scenario for Ukraine, given the U.S. president's clear hostility to continuing U.S. donations."
"Most of all, it would send a very different message to Putin. For months, Putin has believed, Ukraine's U.S. military backstop has been dissolving under Trump. That has emboldened Putin to push harder in military action against Ukraine. If this deal reverses that, it may start to change Putin's perception."
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: Russia 'didn’t care' about Trump's weapons for Ukraine, tariff threats, official says
Comment: "Russia continued its nightly bombardment of Ukraine overnight into Tuesday, shortly after President Donald Trump announced his decision to supply Ukraine with new military equipment and White House threats of further economic measures against Moscow."
Comment: "Dmitry Medvedev -- the former Russian president and prime minister now serving as the deputy chairman of the country's Security Council -- was more forthright, writing on social media that the Kremlin was unmoved by what he called Trump's "theatrical ultimatum."
Comment: " 'The world shuddered, expecting the consequences,' wrote Medvedev, who during Moscow's full-scale war on Ukraine has become known as a particularly hawkish voice within Putin's security establishment. 'Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care.' "
Comment: An important Video is included with the article that provides additional information and insight.
The Times of Israel: IDF chief said to call Gaza humanitarian city plan ‘unworkable’ at security meeting
Comment: "Report says Eyal Zamir pushing back on controversial idea, telling PM, Katz that ‘it has more holes than cheese’; Netanyahu said to be ‘determined’ that it go ahead"
Video: Israeli plan to move Gazans into camp near southern border draws criticism - July 14, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNhPaMC7pZg
BBC: Trump threatens 'very severe' tariffs against Russia if no Ukraine deal within 50 days
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c36xrr9kj11t
Comment: "The US president says he'll enforce 100% secondary tariffs on Russia if there's no deal between Russia and Ukraine in 50 days"
"This means any country that continues to do trade with Russia will face a big tax to sell their products to the US"
"Trump also confirmed that "top-of-the-line" weapons would be sent to Ukraine in an operation co-ordinated by Nato and paid for by its members"
Comment: While the threat of secondary tariffs might adversely impact Russia's ability to sell it's oil to other countries, please note that Trump is giving the Russians 50 days before imposing tariffs, while tariffs are imposed on our allies even sooner, on Aug. 1.
Please also note that while tariffs will likely impact Russian product sales, it is the American consumer who ultimately pays the price of all tariffs.
CNN: Trump’s missile announcement provides vital relief to Ukraine – but lack of stricter sanctions against Russia stings
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/14/europe/ukraine-patriot-missle-announcement-trump-russia-intl
Comment: "The good news for Kyiv is familiar. Trump has permitted NATO’s other members to buy American arms – a wide range of them, it seems."
Comment: "But the sting for Ukraine comes in what was not announced: Immediate secondary sanctions against customers of Russian energy, which could significantly empty Moscow’s coffers. The scope of sanctions proposed by a bill in the US Senate – potentially 500% on all trade with those who buy Russian hydrocarbons – would have been devastating."
"And those sanctions would hit China and India – the US’s main rival and key ally respectively – at a time when oil prices are low, but trade turmoil is high. The damage to energy markets would have been palpable, and the US would also have been impacted by likely higher oil prices. But this comes with a significant delay, together with the somewhat toothless threat of sanctions against Russia itself (there is almost no trade to penalize)."
"Fifty days gives Vladimir Putin until September for Trump to change his mind, or for the Russian president’s rumored summer offensive to alter the battlefield reality to the point where Putin is happy to seek a freeze in the conflict."
Trump pledges Patriot missiles for Ukraine to defend against Russia
Comment: Good move, after Pentagon had previously paused weapon shipments to Ukraine?
The Guardian: ‘Humanitarian city’ would be concentration camp for Palestinians, says former Israeli PM
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/13/israel-humanitarian-city-rafah-gaza-camp-ehud-olmert
Comment: "The 'humanitarian city' Israel’s defence minister has proposed building on the ruins of Rafah would be a concentration camp, and forcing Palestinians inside would be ethnic cleansing, Israel’s former prime minister Ehud Olmert has told the Guardian."
"Israel was already committing war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, Olmert said, and construction of the camp would mark an escalation."
" 'It is a concentration camp. I am sorry,' he said, when asked about the plans laid out by Israel Katz last week. Once inside, Palestinians would not be allowed to leave, except to go to other countries, Katz said."
Video: Palestinian-American dies in West Bank amid controversy over Israel's so-called safe haven plan - July 12, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mhDQXSSRXU
American beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna218408
Comment: "A 20-year-old American from Florida was beaten to death by Israeli settlers on Friday while visiting relatives in the occupied West Bank, according to his family and the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Comment: "Hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers live in developments built in Palestinian territories that are widely considered illegal by the international community. Since October 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, sparking the war in Gaza, violence perpetrated by settlers in the West Bank has surged, often aided or abetted by Israeli security forces."
"Settler attacks include raids on villages, arson targeting homes and farmland, and physical assaults on residents that have regularly turned deadly."
Fortune: Trump's law of the jungle means U.S. trade deals aren't worth the paper they're printed on, trade expert warns
https://fortune.com/2025/07/12/trump-administration-trade-deals-law-of-the-jungle-wto/
Comment: "By dismantling the mechanism that settles international trade disputes, there is no way for countries negotiating with the Trump administration to enforce any bilateral trade agreements. With little incentive to play by the rules, he could simply change the terms of any deal down the road."
Comment: "Hopewell, a professor at the University of British Columbia, argues this erratic and fickle approach to international negotiations is symptomatic of a Trump deal: 'He can simply come back later demanding more. There’s no guarantee it will actually be upheld.' "
"That’s because the president already removed a cornerstone underpinning global commerce during his first administration six years ago when he blocked all appointments to what is essentially the supreme court of the World Trade Organization (WTO) — its Appellate Body."
" 'The WTO is unique amongst international organizations in that its rules are actually legally binding on states. It has teeth,' Hopewell said. Or rather it had teeth."
When the Threat Is Inside the White House
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/07/11/cia-trump-us-intelligence-agency-spies-maga-national-security/
Comment: "What CIA insiders make of the MAGA moles and toadies now in charge of U.S. national security."
Comment: "Trump has been implacably hostile to the CIA ever since its unassailable assessment that Russia worked to elect him in 2016. He sees it as the capital of the 'deep state,' that imaginary cryptocracy of spies and soldiers working in secret to undermine his presidency. In the weeks before the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, he had come to believe that Gina Haspel, then his CIA director, had been part of a plot to rig the presidential vote against him. Trump tried to keelhaul Haspel, but she stood up to him and protected the agency from his wrath."
"Ratcliffe has failed to do so at every turn. He has fired new CIA hires, targeted senior officers for early retirement, twisted intelligence to please the president, and overseen an ideological purge. In March, Sylvester and his colleagues nominated a recently retired officer to succeed him: Ralph Goff, a six-time station chief who had been deeply involved in Russian and Ukrainian operations. As a civilian, Goff had voiced the strongest support for Kyiv. That same day, Laura Loomer, a far-right saboteur beloved by Trump, went to the Oval Office and handed him a long list of intelligence and national security officials whom she deemed denizens of the deep state. The White House blocked Goff’s nomination within hours."
"With Ratcliffe in charge at the CIA, the MAGA warrior Kash Patel running the FBI, the conspiracy theorist Tulsi Gabbard overseeing national intelligence, and the Christian-nationalist Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Trump has created the makings of a national security nightmare. 'Totalitarianism in power invariably replaces all first-rate talents, regardless of their sympathies, with those crackpots and fools whose lack of intelligence and creativity is still the best guarantee of their loyalty,' Hannah Arendt observed decades ago."
NPR: Nigeria says it won't accept U.S. deportees: "We have enough problems of our own"
Comment: "LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria's government says it will resist pressure from the Trump administration to accept deportees from Venezuela and other third countries."
"In an interview with Nigeria's Channels TV on Friday, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said the U.S. was pressuring several African nations to accept foreign nationals whom the U.S. wants to deport."
Comment: "Tuggar's comments mark one of the most high-profile rejections yet of the Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants, under threat of tariffs and visa restrictions for countries that refuse. The U.S. government has not officially confirmed it is pressing African nations to accept third-country nationals."
Comment: Wouldn't the threat of imposing tariffs as an instrument of achieving a foreign policy objective (as opposed to an economic objective) violate the rationale of Trump's April 2nd emergency declaration that gave Trump the power to impose tariffs, rather than the United States Congress?
The Times of Israel: As mistrust in security establishment peaked, PM had IDF chief patted down for wire before meeting
Comment: This is the Netanyahu government that the U.S. backs unconditionally?
BBC: Outrage builds over plan to force all Gazans to southern city
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9dgv7v1d06o
Comment: "According to the plan, Palestinians would be security screened before being allowed in and not permitted to leave."
"Critics, both domestically and internationally, have condemned the proposal, with human rights groups, academics and lawyers calling it a blueprint for a 'concentration camp'. "
Video: Watch "Why some critics want Canada to follow through on 'Elbows up' mantra amid Trump's new tariff threat" on YouTube - July 11, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XEu1Ag7eVk
CNN: State Department is firing more than 1,300 staff on Friday
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/11/politics/state-department-firings
Video: New audio of Trump recounting Putin call about possibility of bombing Moscow: "I have no choice" - July 10, 2025
https://youtu.be/ZSbA5aDYxuE?si=OWh_nYbFIbIARnBJ
Comment: If you listen to Trump's account of the Putin call, do you think the dialogue is realistic? Dialogue like "No way" & "Way"? Really? Do you think the Trump's Moscow bombing threat was real, or an attempt to rewrite history to now appear tough in the face of Putin's continued and increasing aggression against Ukraine?
Foreign leaders turn the Trump sycophancy up to 11
https://www.yahoo.com/news/foreign-leaders-turn-trump-sycophancy-183235816.html
Comment: "It’s not exactly news that foreign leaders – much like their counterparts in the United States – have concluded that flattery is a necessary prerequisite to doing business with President Donald Trump."
Comment: "But even against that backdrop, we’ve entered new and striking territory. As Trump has undertaken a much more transparently transactional second term and busted a series of norms while politicizing his office, it seems foreign leaders have taken notice of the new paradigm."
Comment: "On Wednesday, this took the form of multiple African leaders, expressing support, with some prompting, for Trump to receive his much-coveted Nobel Peace Prize."
"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had gotten the ball rolling on this Monday by signaling he had nominated Trump, and nobody was about to disagree."
Comment: Does anyone else think that Alfred Nobel is probably turning over in his grave?
AP News: UN says if US funding for HIV programs is not replaced, millions more will die by 2029
Brazil’s Lula Squares Up to Trump
https://www.yahoo.com/news/brazil-lula-squares-trump-090230662.html
Brazil draws up plans to retaliate against Trump’s 50% tariff threat | Trump tariffs | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/brazil-trump-tariff-threat
Comment: "Brazil threatened to hit back against Donald Trump’s plan to introduce 50% tariffs on its exports with its own 50% tariff on US goods, setting the stage for a precipitous trade war."
" 'If he charges us 50%, we’ll charge him 50%,' Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, told local news outlet Record, a day after Trump threatened to impose steep duties on Brazilian goods and accused the country of conducting a 'witch-hunt' against its former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing a trial over his attempt to overturn his 2022 election defeat."
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariff and demands Bolsonaro's trial end
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c784ee81y4zo.amp
Comment: "He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, which was shared on social media."
"In it, Trump accuses Brazil of 'attacks' on US tech companies and of conducting a 'witch hunt' against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his alleged role in a plot to overturn the 2022 election."
"Responding in a social media post, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said an increase in tariffs on Brazil would be reciprocated, and he warned against any interference in the nation's judicial system."
Comment: How will you feel about paying 50% more for your Brazilian coffee?
CBS News: Russia launches huge attack on Ukraine as Kremlin says its 'quite calm' about Trump's mounting criticism
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-criticism-drone-attack-deaths/
Comment: "The massive Russian strike came a day after President Trump pledged to send more weapons to Ukraine and directly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin."
" 'I'm not happy with Putin, I can tell you that much right now, because he's killing a lot of people,' Mr. Trump said during a Tuesday cabinet meeting at the White House."
Comment: Although the Russians might be a bit unhappy about the restoration of weapon shipments to Ukraine, do you think Vladimir Putin is actually concerned about Trump's happiness?
Politico: ’Shock. Frustration. Anger.’ Trump’s tariff letters roil Asian allies
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/08/trumps-tariff-letters-roil-asian-allies-00443008
Comment: "The administration's missives reupping — but also delaying — his tariff threats are further souring the mood toward the US ahead of Secretary of State Marco Rubio's trip to the region."
Trump-Netanyahu meeting revives bitterly opposed plan to relocate Palestinians
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna217418
Comment: "President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu kept alive the idea of relocating people from the shattered Gaza Strip on Monday, despite widespread condemnation from close allies, the United Nations and human rights groups, as well as the Palestinians themselves."
"Trump said at his meeting Monday with Netanyahu at the White House that there was 'great cooperation' from Israel's neighbors to take in Palestinians, while Netanyahu said they were 'getting close to finding several countries' willing to do so."
"Neither provided details of the idea, which Arab nations such as Jordon and Egypt have rejected and condemned as forced displacement, which is illegal under international law."
"At a Netanyahu visit to the White House in February, Trump made the surprise announcement that he wanted the United States to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and develop it into 'the Riviera of the Middle East,' before later walking back those plans citing a lack of regional support."
Trump and Netanyahu meet to discuss Gaza deal push
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/08/trump-netanyahu-meet-gaza-white-house
Comment: "One source said the parties agreed that aid in areas of Gaza from which the IDF withdraws will be delivered by the UN or international organizations not affiliated with Israel and Hamas."
Comment: "This means the U.S. and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation will not be able to expand its operations in Gaza and might have to roll back some of them."
CNN: USAID review raised ‘critical concerns’ over Gaza aid group days before $30 million US grant
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/us/usaid-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-israel-grant
Comment: "A scathing 14-page document obtained by CNN outlines a litany of problems with a
funding application submitted by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US-backed group established to provide aid following an 11-week Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. The United Nations human rights office says that hundreds of Palestinians have since been killed around private aid sites, including those operated by GHF."
Comment: "Trump administration officials have consistently downplayed and rejected criticisms about GHF. Israel has also disputed media reports, eyewitness and doctor accounts, and Palestinian officials blaming the Israeli military for killing aid-seekers near GHF sites."
Comment: "The previously unreported details in the assessment echo international criticism of GHF’s ability to act as the primary aid distributor to thousands of Gazans living in desperate conditions and highlight how the Trump administration greenlit funding for the group despite career staffers’ concerns."
Comment: " 'Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while
trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' said a joint statement last week from over 240 NGOs calling for an immediate end to GHF’s operation."
Israeli defence minister plans to move Gaza's population to camp in Rafah
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rp31lk7mzo
Comment: "Israel Katz told journalists on Monday he wanted to establish a 'humanitarian city' on the ruins of the city of Rafah to initially house about 600,000 Palestinians - and eventually the whole 2.1 million population."
Comment: " 'It is all about population transfer to the southern tip of the Gaza Strip in preparation for deportation outside the strip,' Michael Sfard told the Guardian newspaper."
"The UN has also previously warned that the deportation or forcible transfer of an occupied territory's civilian population is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law and 'tantamount to ethnic cleansing'."
Comment: "Later on Monday, during a meeting at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about US President Donald Trump's proposal that the US take over post-war Gaza and permanently resettle its population elsewhere."
Video: Rice: Trump 'is systematically shrinking us' from a global superpower to a regional power - July 07, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywK_IDrSoUA
Migrants who were sent to CECOT are the responsibility of US, El Salvador tells UN - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/US/migrants-cecot-responsibility-us-el-salvador-tells/story?id=123551909
Comment: "The claims appears to contradict what U.S. officials have been saying."
Comment: " 'The government of El Salvador has confirmed what everyone already knew: the United States controls the fate of the Venezuelans sent to CECOT without due process,' Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU told ABC News in response to the U.N. report. 'Unbelievably, the U.S. government didn't provide this information to us or the court.' "
Politico: Trump team moves goalposts on tariffs again
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/06/bessent-trump-tariffs-deadline-august-00440522
Comment: "Tariffs will revert back to their April 2 rates on Aug. 1 for countries that fail to nail down new trade deals with the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, just three days before the Trump administration’s initial July 9 deadline for tariffs to return."
"Bessent told CNN’s 'State of the Union' that the Trump administration would be sending out letters to 100 smaller countries 'saying that if you don’t move things along, then on August 1st, you will boomerang back to your April 2nd tariff level.' "
"The announcement effectively pushes back the tariffs that were originally set in April but had been suspended until July 9, a window the Trump administration used to pursue an ambitious round of dealmaking with other countries aimed at reaching deals to stave off the return of tariffs of between 10 and 50 percent on dozens of countries. It comes as Trump administration officials increasingly hint at difficulties in nailing down deals."
Hegseth falsely cited weapon shortages in halting shipments to Ukraine, Democrats say
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsqvlb6
Comment: "Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, unilaterally halted an agreed shipment of military aid to Ukraine due to baseless concerns that US stockpiles of weapons have run too low, it has been reported."
Comment: "The decision surprised members of Congress, as well as Ukraine and the US’s European allies. Democrats said there is no evidence that American weapon stocks are in decline."
" 'We are not at any lower point, stockpile-wise, than we’ve been in the three-and-a-half years of the Ukraine conflict,' Adam Smith, a Democrat and ranking member of the House armed services committee, told NBC. Smith said that his staff had 'seen the numbers' on weapon supplies and that there is no justification to suspend aid to Ukraine."
Hegseth halted weapons for Ukraine despite military analysis that the aid wouldn’t jeopardize U.S. readiness
Comment: "The move to halt the weapons shipment blindsided the State Department, members of Congress, officials in Kyiv and European allies, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter."
The Times of Israel: UN rights office says more than 600 people killed near Gaza aid sites since late May
Comment: "The UN human rights office says it has recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near humanitarian convoys run by other relief groups since GHF began operating in the Strip in late May."
China tells EU it can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine, official says
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/europe/china-ukraine-eu-war-intl
Comment: "Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat that Beijing can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine as this could allow the United States to turn its full attention to China, an official briefed on the talks said, contradicting Beijing’s public position of neutrality in the conflict."
the-independent.com: Israel says Trump’s plan to resettle nearly two million Palestinians from Gaza is ‘still active’
Comment: "The Israeli government said Thursday that Donald Trump's plan to relocate nearly two million Palestinians from Gaza is 'still active,' despite widespread opposition from U.S. allies and warnings from rights groups that it would constitute a war crime."
Comment: "The White House did not deny the plan was still a possibility when asked by The Independent."
CNN: Russia launches record number of drones at Ukraine after latest Trump-Putin phone call
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/03/europe/kyiv-ukraine-strikes-trump-putin-talks-intl-hnk
Comment: "The smell of smoke and explosives saturated the air in Kyiv on Friday as residents emerged from shelters across the city following a record Russian drone attack that came just hours after US President Donald Trump said he had made 'no progress' towards a ceasefire in a call with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin."
Comment: "Asked if he felt he made progress with Putin on a deal with Ukraine, Trump said firmly: 'No.' He added that he was 'very disappointed' with the conversation with the Russian president, whom he believes is 'not looking to stop' the war."
Comment: Do you think Trump is finally realizing that he shouldn't trust Vladimir Putin? If so, do you think Trump will ever stand up to Putin?
Senate Democrats launch investigation into Trump’s pause of Russia sanctions
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsdlsmj
Comment: "Since President Trump began his second term in January, the United States has not issued any new sanctions against Russia stemming from its invasion of Ukraine — in some cases even easing such restrictions."
Pentagon’s pause on Ukraine munitions raises alarm; Democrats see ‘rogue actors’
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5381627-democrats-criticize-pentagon-halt-ukraine-aid/amp/
Comment: "Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby was the main driver in the decision, which came in early June, according to Politico."
" 'If this is true, then Mr. Colby, who opposed military assistance to Ukraine and even refused to acknowledge that Russia’s actions amounted to an ‘invasion’ of Ukraine in his confirmation hearing, is taking action that will surely result in the imminent death of many Ukrainian military and civilians,' Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) posted Wednesday to social platform X."
The Times of Israel: Likud ministers urge Netanyahu to annex West Bank by the end of the month
Comment: "Senior lawmakers and ministers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party launched a push on Wednesday urging the premier to annex the West Bank before the end of the Knesset’s summer session on July 27, claiming that he must ride the 'historic achievements' of the war against Iran."
Comment: "The politicians added that 'the strategic partnership, backing and support of the US and President Donald Trump have made it a propitious time to move forward with it now, and ensure Israel’s security for generations.' "
Comment: Do you think it is proper for the U.S. to supply weapons and diplomatic support to Israel so that it can appropriate (steal) land that belongs to others? Do you think Israel's actions will endear it and the United States to its Arab neighbors, including the moderate ones that currently have good diplomatic relationships with the U.S.?
Politico: Inside the Dysfunction at Rubio’s Shrunken National Security Council
Comment: "Since Rubio took over the NSC, he has shrunk its staff by more than half. It now has fewer than 100 people, according to a person familiar with the NSC process. Arguably more importantly, Rubio has imposed changes to what’s called “the interagency process” — a key function of the NSC that involves coordinating policy and messaging across government agencies and departments."
"That process, two people told me, is now one in which important meetings aren’t held, career staffers are often in the dark about what’s expected of them and some people or their institutions try to take advantage of power vacuums. I granted many of those I spoke to anonymity to discuss internal administration dynamics."
Comment: Do you think the problems at the NSC might be the result of Rubio having responsibility for several different roles in the Trump administration, including his job as Secretary of State?
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: After US and Israeli strikes, some nuclear experts say Iran could be more dangerous
CNN: Iran’s president approves law suspending cooperation with UN nuclear watchdog
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/02/middleeast/iran-suspending-cooperation-iaea-intl
Comment: "It’s unclear when and how the new law will be implemented, but the decision could pave the way for Iran to rebuild its nuclear program without inspections or monitoring from the IAEA. Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which requires members to allow monitoring and inspections of facilities to confirm the peaceful nature of nuclear programs."
US contractors say their colleagues are firing live ammo as Palestinians seek food in Gaza
https://www.yahoo.com/news/us-contractors-colleagues-firing-live-194854979.html
Comment: "American contractors guarding aid distribution sites in Gaza are using live ammunition and stun grenades as hungry Palestinians scramble for food, according to accounts and videos obtained by The Associated Press."
"Two U.S. contractors, speaking to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were revealing their employers’ internal operations, said they were coming forward because they were disturbed by what they considered dangerous and irresponsible practices. They said the security staff hired were often unqualified, unvetted, heavily armed and seemed to have an open license to do whatever they wished."
Over 165 major aid groups call for end to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation operations | The Times of Israel
https://share.google/a3GEpFeqtWAq0BJbW
Comment: "More than 165 major international charities and non-governmental organizations, including Oxfam, Save the Children, and Amnesty, call for an immediate end to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. "
" 'Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,' the group says in a joint news release."
Comment: "The call by the charities and NGOs was the latest sign of trouble for the GHF — a secretive US- and Israeli-backed initiative headed by an evangelical leader who is a close ally of US President Donald Trump."
What is fatwa? Iran issues fatwa against Trump, Netanyahu, what it means
Comment: Since the Iranians are personally threatening Trump and Netanyahu, do you think Trump's claim that he ended the 30 year conflict between Israel and Iran (as he claimed at a recent NATO summit) might have been a bit premature? [sarcasm included]
Politico: Trump won’t let other countries score big ‘wins’ in trade talks. Both sides could lose.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/29/us-india-trade-deal-00430438
Comment: "And it underscores how Trump’s all-sticks-and-no-carrot approach to trade talks is making it difficult for even friendly foreign governments to reach an agreement they fear could be political suicide back home — no matter how much the White House threatens their economies."
The Guardian: Tens of thousands flee Gaza City after Israel warns of major offensive
Comment: "The messages on social media from the Israel Defense Forces warned of 'military operations [that] will escalate, intensify, and extend westward to the city centre to destroy the capabilities of terrorist organisations' and directed those living in several crowded neighbourhoods to al-Mawasi, a coastal area much further south that is already overcrowded and has very limited facilities."
Court cancels Israel PM Netanyahu's trial hearings this week
https://www.yahoo.com/news/court-cancels-israel-pm-netanyahus-125546334.html
Comment: "It was unclear whether a social media post by U.S. President Donald Trump influenced the court's decision. Trump suggested the trial could interfere with Netanyahu’s ability to join negotiations with the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Iran."
Comment: "Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. He has cast the trial against him as an orchestrated left-wing witch-hunt meant to topple a democratically elected right-wing leader."
Comment: " 'It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,' Trump said in a Truth Social post. He said Washington, having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel, was not going to 'stand for this'. "
Comment: Do you think Trump might be trying to influence the Israeli legal system by suggesting that the future of Israeli aid might be tied to Netanyahu's prosecution?
The Guardian: Iran’s nuclear enrichment ‘will never stop’, nation’s UN ambassador says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/iran-nuclear-enrichment-un-ambassador
Second Intelligence Leak Obliterates Trump’s Iran Claim
https://www.yahoo.com/news/second-intelligence-leak-obliterates-trump-183639611.html
Comment: "Intercepted audio captured Iranian officials describing damage at three nuclear sites as 'less devastating than expected' despite 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles being used, The Washington Post reported Sunday."
"The audio marks the second time this week that leaked intelligence contradicts Trump’s claims that Iran’s nuclear program was 'blown up to kingdom come.' Trump, 79, repeated similar lines as recently as Sunday morning in an interview on Fox News."
CNN: UN nuclear watchdog chief says Iran could again begin enriching uranium in ‘matter of months’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/29/world/iaea-iran-enriched-uranium-intl
The Guardian: Iran will likely be able to produce enriched uranium ‘in a matter of months’, IAEA chief says
Comment: "The UN nuclear watchdog chief has said Iran could produce enriched uranium 'in a matter of months', in an interview in which he also contradicted Donald Trump’s assertion that US strikes had 'completely and totally obliterated' Tehran’s nuclear facilities."
politico.eu: Iran reportedly bans IAEA chief, surveillance cameras from nuclear plants
https://www.politico.eu/article/iran-ban-iaea-chief-rafael-grossi-surveillance-camera-nuclear-plant/
Comment: "Iran decided to ban the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency from its nuclear facilities and to remove surveillance cameras from them, claiming it discovered Israel’s government obtained 'sensitive facility data,' according to media reports Saturday."
Comment: "Iran previously allowed the IAEA to access and inspect its nuclear plants and use sophisticated surveillance devices as a crucial commitment within the nuclear deal Tehran signed with France, Russia, the U.K., the U.S., Germany and the European Union in 2015 to keep its nuclear program under control."
"The first Trump administration withdrew from that deal in 2018. Iran had threatened to remove surveillance cameras during recent negotiations on its nuclear program."
Houthis claim responsibility for morning missile attack on south | The Times of Israel
Comment: Aren't you glad that Trump ended the 30 year conflict between Israel and Iran, as he claimed at a recent NATO summit? [sarcasm included]
The Hill: Rubio condemns Iran’s threats against IAEA chief
https://thehill.com/policy/international/5375459-rubio-condemns-irans-threats-against-iaea-chief/
Comment: "Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, following the U.S.’s attack on three of Iran’s nuclear sites last week."
Trump Issues Blistering Response After Iran Threatens U.S.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-issues-blistering-response-iran-143348367.html
Comment: "President Donald Trump issued blistering remarks in response to Iran’s Supreme Leader claiming victory over Israel and, by extension, the U.S. In a loaded public message, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had also threatened to attack more U.S. Military bases, further splintering the Middle Eastern country’s relationship with the U.S."
Iran cuts off cooperation with nuclear watchdog
https://www.yahoo.com/news/iran-cuts-off-cooperation-nuclear-170938678.html
Iran Carries Out String of Executions and Arrests
https://share.google/5w4TBLGh76TwYjloo
Comment: "Iran has executed three men convicted of spying for Israel and detained hundreds more civilians in a widening crackdown that rights groups say reflects growing paranoia within the Islamic Republic's leadership following a deadly exchange of strikes with Israel."
Politico: Trump says Iran ‘wants to talk.’ Tehran disagrees.
NBC News: Trump administration exploring $30 billion civilian nuclear deal for Iran
Comment: "The Trump administration in recent days has explored possible economic incentives for Iran in return for the regime halting uranium enrichment, including releasing billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, according to three sources familiar with the discussions."
She Delivered Intelligence Briefs to Trump. Here’s Her Reality Check on the Iran Strikes. - POLITICO
Comment: "So, were the strikes a success, or should we still be worried about Iran’s nuclear capabilities? Perhaps both, according to Beth Sanner, a longtime intelligence official who frequently delivered Trump’s intelligence brief during his first term in office."
AP News: What we know about the damage done to Iran’s nuclear program
Trump rejecting US intel on Iran reflects his distrust of spy agencies | AP News
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s fights with the intelligence community were a running theme of his first term as he raged against an investigation into his campaign’s alleged links to Russia. Now, a sequel is playing out as Trump battles to shape the public's understanding of his foreign policy gamble in Iran."
"An early U.S. intelligence assessment said Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after American strikes on three sites last weekend. The Republican president has rejected the report and pronounced the program 'completely and fully obliterated.' ”
AP News: Early US intelligence report suggests US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months
Comment: "The report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities. According to the people, the report found that while the Sunday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, the facilities were not totally destroyed. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity."
Comment: Do you think the difference might be that one is an intelligence report and that the other was a not so intelligent statement, based not on facts but instead based on wishful thinking and political and face saving considerations?
White House tries to find messaging balance on Trump’s regime change comment - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/23/leavitt-trump-regime-change-comment-00418478
Comment: What is the message? Does anyone know? Will it change tomorrow?
The Guardian: Israel-Iran war live - 6/23/25
Kremlin warns that other nations ready to give Iran nukes: 'Dangerous escalation has begun'
Politico: With Iran Strikes, Trump Is ‘Unchained’
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/22/trump-iran-strikes-foreign-policy-00417546
Iran parliament reportedly backs closing Strait of Hormuz, which could spike oil prices
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/22/iran-closure-strait-of-hormuz
Comment: The Iranian parliament is not the final word on closure.
Iran’s foreign minister heading to Russia to meet with Putin after US strikes
Comment: "Abbas Araghchi emphasized the 'strategic partnership' between Tehran and Moscow as he announced the trip just hours after the U.S. targeted three Iranian nuclear sites."
The Guardian: What a difference a week makes: Trump falls into the Netanyahu trap
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/22/trump-falls-into-the-netanyahu-trap-israel-iran-us
White House wary of Iran counterattack as Trump strikes triumphant tone - POLITICO
Comment: "The decision to send American B-2 bombers to attack Iran, the most significant military action of Trump’s presidency, threatens to inject the United States into another Middle East conflict, the kind that Trump and Vice President JD Vance have long promised to avoid. "
Elizabeth Warren demands answers over reports of $500m deal for controversial Gaza Health Foundation
https://www.yahoo.com/news/senator-elizabeth-warren-demands-answers-160736319.html
Comment: "In a letter addressed to Rubio and USAID’s acting administrator, Kenneth Jackson, the Massachusetts senator argued that the GHF, a self-proclaimed aid organisation that is backed by the Israeli and US governments, 'marks an alarming departure from the professional humanitarian organizations that have worked on the ground, in Gaza and elsewhere, for decades'."
CNN: The US may be headed into another Middle East war – and no one is talking about how it ends
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/18/politics/trump-iran-israel-middle-east-conflicts
The Hill: Trump weighs joining Israel in bombing Iran
https://thehill.com/homenews/morning-report/5356515-trump-israel-iran-bombing-decision/
The Guardian: Foreign students to be forced to unlock social media profiles in new US visa rules
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/18/social-media-student-visa-screening
Comment: "Foreign students will be required to unlock their social media profiles to allow US diplomats to review their online activity before receiving educational and exchange visas, the state department has announced. Those who fail to do so will be suspected of hiding that activity from US officials."
Israel says Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon. US intel says it was years away | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/politics/israel-iran-nuclear-bomb-us-intelligence-years-away
Trump demands action from 36 countries to avoid travel ban | AP News
Trump to depart G7 early due to Middle East conflict
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5353826-trump-depart-g7-early-middle-east-conflict/
Fact check: At G7, Trump makes false claims about Trudeau, trade, Ukraine and immigration | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/16/politics/g7-trump-lies-canada-ukraine
Comment: How do you think Trump's false claims impact U.S. credibility abroad?
Trump muses about turning G7 back into G8 — or even the G9 with China | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/trump-russia-putin-g7-china-xi-carney-bdfd3a4201d8b552ef695fa4a2179acb
Comment: "The U.S. leader indicated that he would rather have the G7 become the G8 or possibly even the G9, although Russia and China would notably be authoritarian governments in an organization whose members are democracies."
How Trump went from opposing Israel's strikes on Iran to reluctant support
Trump wants to score trade deals in Canada. He’s unlikely to get them. - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/15/trump-g7-trade-deals-expectations-00405578
Comment: "The lowered stakes reflect the plodding pace of negotiations with economic partners since April, when Trump blew up their trade ties in pursuit of new deals that he’s insisted must be more favorable to the United States. Leaders across Europe are projecting resolve despite the prospect of punishing tariffs come early July."
Trump says 'it's possible' US gets involved in Israel-Iran conflict - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-us-gets-involved-israel-iran-conflict/story?id=122865561
State Department cable instructs embassies worldwide to relay U.S. is "not involved" in "unilateral" Israeli strikes on Iran - CBS News
Axios: Trump says Israel and Iran should make a deal to end the war
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/15/trump-israel-iran-end-war
Comment: "What he is saying: 'Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make...we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place,' Trump wrote Sunday on his Truth Social account."
Comment: Does anyone else think the "deal" will be as simple as Trump thinks it will be?
Trump vetoed Israeli proposal to assassinate Iran’s supreme leader
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/iran-israel-attacks-live-updates-rcna213113
Comment: Live updates on June 15th.
As Trump goes to G7 summit, other world leaders aim to show they're not intimidated | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/trump-g7-fear-summit-taco-trade-117f9034f2a06d23bfbb2de201431c54
Comment: "But many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by Trump, even as they recognize the risks if he followed through on his threats. They believe he will ultimately back down — since many of his plans could inflict harm on the U.S. — or that he can simply be charmed and flattered into cooperating."
Live updates: Waves of airstrikes in Iran and Israel as exchange of fire enters second day
https://www.nbcnews.com/world/middle-east/live-blog/iran-israel-attack-live-updates-rcna213029
Comment: Live updates on June 14th.
BBC: Was Iran months away from producing a nuclear bomb?
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn840275p5yo
Live updates: Iran launches missile counterattack on Israel after punishing airstrikes
https://www.yahoo.com/news/theres-nothing-left-trump-pushes-120836175.html
‘An Armageddon-Like Response’: What Could Happen Next Between Israel and Iran
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/13/hirsh-crocker-q-a-00405637
Iran strikes back at Israel, U.S. helps intercept missiles
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/13/iran-strikes-israel-missiles-tel-aviv
Israel expands strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/13/nx-s1-5432607/israel-strikes-iran-nuclear-facilities-expand
Israel hits Iran’s nuclear program and military leadership in unprecedented strikes
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/12/middleeast/israel-iran-strikes-intl-hnk
Reuters: US denies offering Mexico tariff relief in exchange for probing high-level politicians
Mother Jones: How El Salvador’s Government Impeded a Probe of MS-13
AP News: With Trump as ally, El Salvador’s President ramps up crackdown on dissent
Comment: "The Saturday arrest of Anaya, a fierce critic of Bukele, marks the latest move in what watchdogs describe as a wave of crackdown on dissent by the Central American leader. They say Bukele is emboldened by his alliance with U.S President Donald Trump, who has not only praised him but avoided criticizing actions human rights defenders, international authorities and legal experts deem authoritarian."
ProPublica: “Delay, Interfere, Undermine”
Comment: "Investigation Impeded: Despite Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s crime fighter reputation, his top aides blocked extraditions of MS-13 leaders to the U.S., officials say."
"Money Laundering Inquiry: U.S. agents drew up a request to examine whether Bukele and senior officials had diverted USAID funds to help out MS-13 gang members."
"Salvadoran Allies Threatened: Law enforcement officials had to flee El Salvador after facing harassment and threats from the country’s government."
CNN: What Trump really means when he says ‘our deal with China is done’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/12/business/on-the-trump-show-nightcap
ABC News: China appears to downplay US trade deal Trump said was 'done'
https://abcnews.go.com/International/china-appears-downplay-us-trade-deal-trump/story?id=122763770
The Hill: Vladimir Putin has incurred one million casualties in his pointless war
US preparing to partially evacuate Iraq embassy over regional security risks, sources say | Reuters
Reuters: US pushes Mexico to prosecute, extradite politicians with cartel ties
Comment: "The requests - raised at least three times by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team in bilateral meetings and conversations with Mexican officials - seek to push President Claudia Sheinbaum's government to investigate current elected officials and launch an unprecedented crackdown on narco corruption, four people familiar with the matter said."
‘America’s reputation is on the line’: Republican senators chide Hegseth over Ukraine - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/11/mcconnell-hegseth-ukraine-fight-00399719
Comment: "The exchange between McConnell and Hegseth offered a rare high-profile window into the Republican party’s widening foreign policy gap. McConnell voiced a Reagan-era international view of American leadership, while Hegseth articulated a more restraint-oriented, America First approach favored by many of Trump’s allies."
NPR: U.S.-China trade talks continue for a 2nd day in London
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/10/g-s1-71676/us-china-trade-talks-london
‘It’s made up’: Democrats say Rubio isn’t playing it straight about foreign aid cuts
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/09/rubio-pepfar-aids-usaid-democrats-00392794
Comment: "The State Department would not provide data to support the secretary’s repeated claim that 85 percent of the US global AIDS program is operational."
CNN: US State Department orders embassies to resume processing Harvard student visas
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/politics/harvard-student-visas-resume-processing
Comment: "The US State Department ordered diplomatic posts around the world to 'resume processing' of Harvard University student and exchange visitor visas on Friday after a judge halted President Donald Trump’s latest attempt to block international students from coming to the institution."
Israel intercepts Gaza-bound aid ship, detaining Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/08/middleeast/freedom-flotilla-gaza-aid-ship-thunberg-intl-hnk
BBC: Israel is accused of the gravest war crimes in Gaza
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0r1xl5wgnko
Graham’s ‘bone crushing’ Russia sanctions bill could freeze US trade with the world’s largest economies
Comment: "The proposed 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy could cut the U.S. off from major trade partners."
U.S. hits International Criminal Court judges with sanctions over investigation into Israel
Comment: "Within minutes of the administration’s announcement, the court condemned its actions. 'These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution,' ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah said in a statement."
CNN: Trump compares Ukraine-Russia war to kids’ brawl: ‘Sometimes you’re better off letting them fight’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/politics/ukraine-war-trump-kids-fighting
Comment: "For months, President Donald Trump has voiced varying degrees of optimism that he – and only he – will be able to resolve the conflict in Ukraine."
"But halting progress, ever-more deadly drone attacks and unmoving negotiating positions seem to have taken their toll. On Thursday, Trump used a striking analogy to concede the warfare was nowhere near over, and that he did not, at that moment, feel it was best to intervene."
The Guardian: Kremlin and Trump aides raise nuclear war fears after Ukraine drone strike
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/04/ukraine-russia-nuclear-war-fears
Comment: "Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will respond to Kyiv’s attacks on nuclear-capable aircraft at airfields"
AP News: These satellite photos show Russian bombers Ukraine says it destroyed
NBC News: Almost 1 million Russian troops killed or wounded in Ukraine war, study says
Politico: Ukrainian delegation to brief senators amid Russia sanctions push
Russia sets out punitive terms at peace talks with Ukraine
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-ukraine-talk-about-peace-are-still-far-apart-2025-06-02/
BBC: IDF says roads to Gaza aid centres are 'combat zones' as sites close for day
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cnv18gp4rdzo
BBC: Killings near Gaza aid centre will deepen criticism of Israel's new distribution system
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jgk1w320lo
BBC: UN calls for investigation into killings near Gaza aid site
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c753e0p29z0o
Comment: "The UN secretary-general has called for an independent investigation into the killing of Palestinians near an aid distribution centre in Gaza on Sunday, amid disputed reports that Israeli forces had opened fire on people waiting to collect aid."
ABC News: As Ukraine and Russia step up attacks, the Trump administration steps back: ANALYSIS
Axios: Scoop: U.S. nuclear deal offer allows Iran to enrich uranium
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/02/iran-nuclear-deal-proposal-enrich-uranium
Comment: "White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have said publicly that the U.S. will not allow Iran to enrich uranium and will demand the full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear facilities. The secret proposal shows far more flexibility on both points."
After talks with Zelenskyy and Macron, US senators warn: Putin 'is preparing for more war’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/putin-preparing-more-war-us-151333586.html
CNN: US senators meet with Zelensky in Kyiv as doubt cast over upcoming Ukraine-Russia peace talks
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/31/europe/senators-zelensky-ukraine-russia-sanctions-intl-hnk
Comment: "A bipartisan pair of US senators met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on Friday and urged stronger sanctions against Russia, while uncertainty swirls over whether the next round of peace talks will move ahead in the coming days."
North Korea has deployed thousands of troops to help Russia 'terrorize Ukraine,' report finds
Comment: "Russia has deployed thousands of North Korean soldiers and weaponry to “terrorize” Ukraine, according to a new report by members of the United Nations which reveals a 'myriad of unlawful activities,' and exposes Moscow's reliance on the isolated regime."
Hamas responds to Gaza ceasefire proposal
Comment: "The office of Steve Witkoff, the U.S. envoy to the Middle East, said in a statement on social media on Saturday that it had received Hamas' response to the proposal, but it was 'totally unacceptable and only takes us backward.' "
Israel’s ‘violations’ in Gaza make world more dangerous, Norway warns
Comments: "Low respect for international law and human rights set worrying precedent, international development minister says"
The Guardian: Pete Hegseth calls on Asia to boost military spending in face of ‘imminent’ threat from China
US defense secretary warns Indo-Pacific allies of ‘imminent’ threat from China
https://apnews.com/article/us-hegseth-speech-china-taiwan-7a0ee0860be972f5f9eeca09926ecd85
Hegseth reassures allies that US will support them against Chinese aggression
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc7rvgj0
China forms new global mediation group with dozens of countries
Comment: "The support of developing countries signaled Beijing’s rising influence in the global south amid heightened geopolitical tensions, partly exacerbated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs."
Axios: Trump claims China has "totally violated" tariff pause deal
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/trump-china-tariffs
Macron to China: Keep North Korea out of Ukraine war or risk NATO coming to Asia
https://www.politico.eu/article/macron-china-keep-north-korea-out-ukraine-nato-to-asia/
The Times of Israel: Israel to block Saudi-led delegation of Middle Eastern ministers from visiting West Bank
Food for Gaza decays in Jordan warehouses as Israel restricts aid
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/30/g-s1-69815/gaza-food-aid-decays-jordan-israel
Chaos and deadly gunfire erupt again as starving Palestinians seek food at new distribution sites
BBC: Israel announces major expansion of settlements in occupied West Bank
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1j5954edlno
BBC: Gaza warehouse broken into by 'hordes of hungry people' says WFP
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0qg5z4lkj0o
CNN: US State Department orders embassies to ‘immediately begin additional vetting’ for anyone seeking a visa to travel to Harvard
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/30/politics/harvard-visas-state-department-vetting
Video: 'Humiliated by Putin': Trump frustrated with Putin amid stalled peace negotiations - May 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnPgGWNSeA
AFRICOM chief warns China attempting to 'replicate' US assistance as Washington pulls back - Breaking Defense
Comment: "Gen. Michael Langley's warning comes amid the Pentagon's rebalancing of priorities and drastic cuts to foreign aid programs."
Rubio outlines plans to drastically cut human rights offices in State
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8bz3oo
Politico: ‘It’s wild’: State Department, others struggle to comprehend Chinese visa plan
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/29/state-department-chinese-student-visas-00375568
Comment: "State Department has yet to issue instructions on its visa ban, which could affect tens of thousands of Chinese students."
Trump fires historians who wrote nonpartisan accounts of US foreign policy
https://share.newsbreak.com/dc8mmeiz
BBC: Germany's Merz promises to help Ukraine produce long-range missiles
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpw7vllepx7o
NPR: Rubio says U.S. will 'aggressively' revoke visas for many Chinese students
The New Republic: Trump Branded With Embarrassing Nickname Over Tariff Confusion
https://newrepublic.com/post/195780/donald-trump-nickname-tariffs-taco
Reuters: Netanyahu says Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar has been eliminated
Trump appears to give Putin "two week" deadline on Ukraine - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyn3vqex47o
The Independent: Former Russian president threatens Trump with World War III after Putin criticism
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-putin-russia-ukraine-war-b2759110.html
Trump is losing patience with Putin but unsure of his next move - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/27/trump-putin-sanctions-patience-00371571
Comment: "Lawmakers see an opening for more sanctions on Russia, but the president is undecided."
New U.S.-backed aid distribution system in Gaza quickly overwhelmed | PBS News
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-u-s-backed-aid-distribution-system-in-gaza-quickly-overwhelmed
How is the new Gaza aid plan supposed to work -- and why are so many aid groups against it?
https://share.newsbreak.com/d9uweixr
Thousands of Israeli nationalists chant 'death to Arabs' during annual procession through Jerusalem | AP News
Comment: "Chanting 'Death to Arabs' and singing 'May your village burn,' groups of young Israeli Jews made their way through Muslim neighborhoods of Jerusalem’s Old City on Monday during an annual march marking Israel’s conquest of the eastern part of the city."
Ukraine free to strike any Russian military facility after West lifts all range restrictions, Germany says
https://share.newsbreak.com/d9vtnrgl
Video: 'Finally seeing the real Putin': McFaul reacts to Trump's comments on Russian attack - May 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8jzQGMljA
Video: Trump: ‘I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin’ - May 26, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pvkwnCbo87s
Ukraine says Russia launched its biggest drone attack yet, part of an escalating campaign | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-missiles-b34e72f0856b0f19219076463cce0414
Trump extends trade deal deadline for EU after ‘good call’ with commission leader
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5318236-eu-seeks-to-lower-trump-trade-tensions/
Comment: What will be the position tomorrow?
Politico: Trump grants extension to European Union on tariff hike
Comment: "The new date is July 9."
The Hill: Wendy Sherman: China watching Russia-Ukraine conflict to gauge moves on Taiwan
https://thehill.com/homenews/5318010-china-taiwan-russia-ukraine-relations/
The Times of Israel: US National Security Council staff fired en masse, including Mideast, Israel, Iran chiefs
Axios: Israel is losing almost all its allies as it forges on in Gaza
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/25/israel-isolated-criticism-gaza-operation-aid
Politico: World Food Programme director calls food situation in Gaza ‘a catastrophe’
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/25/cindy-mcain-food-situation-gaza-catastrophe-00369715
ABC News: US military shifts messaging in Africa, telling allies to prepare to stand more on their own
US ‘silence’ encouraging Putin, says Zelensky, after Russia launches record air assault | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/24/europe/russia-ukraine-kyiv-attack-prisoner-swap-intl-hnk
Russia launches war's largest air attack on Ukraine, kills at least 12 people | Reuters
Axios: Scoop: Trump, Rubio take aim at National Security Council's "Deep State"
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/23/white-house-national-security-council-trump-rubio
Reuters: Canada's crude oil shift to China schools Trump in unintended consequences
Axios: Thune threatens Putin with sanctions on Russia
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/22/senate-thune-russia-sanctions-trump-putin-ukraine
Catholic Relief Services loses federal funds for 11 of 13 international food aid programs
AP News: UK agrees to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius in a deal it says protects a key US base
ABC News: Trump confronts South Africa's president in Oval Office, pushes false claims of white genocide
Pentagon says it has accepted Boeing jet from Qatar that will be used for Trump - CBS News
AP News: Netanyahu promises new Gaza aid delivery plan as supplies still fail to reach Palestinians
NPR: U.S. Ambassador Huckabee is 'outraged' at European leaders for condemning Israel
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5404970/ambassador-israel-mike-huckabee-interview
Comment: Could it be that Huckabee's fundamentalist Christian background is biasing his perception of Israel's recent actions regarding the blockade of food to starving inhabitants of Gaza?
NPR: U.K. suspends free trade talks with Israel and announces sanctions
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5406072/uk-israel-free-trade-sanctions-palestinians-west-bank
Comment: "Pressure from close allies is mounting on Israel following a nearly three-month blockade of supplies into Gaza that led to famine warnings. Even the United States, a staunch ally, has voiced concerns over the hunger crisis."
CNN: New intelligence suggests Israel is preparing possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, US officials say
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/20/politics/intelligence-israel-possible-strike-iran-nuclear-facilities
The Guardian: Australia demands Israel allow aid into Gaza, stating ‘the population faces starvation’ in joint statement
Axios: Trump's deference to Putin stunned European leaders on call
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/20/trump-putin-call-european-leaders-zelensky
Reuters: EU, Britain go ahead with new Russia sanctions without waiting for Washington
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eu-adopts-new-sanctions-against-russia-kallas-says-2025-05-20/
The Guardian: UK and Europe target Russia with major sanctions after Putin-Trump call
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/20/sanctions-russia-uk-europe-putin-trump-call
Peace in Ukraine looks further away after Trump’s call with Putin | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/20/politics/trump-putin-russia-ukraine-ceasefire-talks
Reuters: Trump says Russia, Ukraine agree to immediate ceasefire talks, Kremlin offers no timeframe
BBC: Trump-Putin call exposes shifting ground on Ukraine peace talks
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ge7jq0px2o
NPR: Trump and Putin talk more than 2 hours, but there's no Russia-Ukraine ceasefire
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/19/nx-s1-5403585/trump-calls-putin-zelenskyy-russia-ukraine-war-talks
Trump says ceasefire negotiations between just Russia and Ukraine to start 'immediately'
Comment: " 'The question is, of course, that the Russian and Ukrainian sides show their maximum desire for peace and find the compromises that would suit all parties,' Putin added."
Comment: What "compromises" would suit Vladimir Putin? How much will Ukraine be compromised?
The Hill: Pentagon touts major defense partnership with United Arab Emirates
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5308000-pentagon-major-defense-partnership-united-arab-emirates/
The Guardian: Alarm over defence agreement giving US ‘unhindered access’ to Danish airbases
The Guardian: Netanyahu vows to ‘take control’ of Gaza as UK, France and Canada threaten action against Israel
The Times of Israel: Netanyahu defends Gaza aid resumption, acknowledges step stemmed from allies’ pressure
The Hill: Rubio says ‘we’ll find out pretty soon’ if Russia is ‘tapping us along’ in Ukraine talks
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5306613-rubio-optimism-kremlin-ukraine-peace-talks/
Comment: How much evidence does the administration need before determining that Russia is stalling for time?
CBS News: Rubio says intelligence community is incorrect in assessment of Tren de Aragua: "They're wrong"
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-intelligence-community-tren-de-aragua/
Comment: Why do we spend so much money on the intelligence community, if Trump administrative officials are just going to ignore any assessments that conflict with the political narrative they are trying to convey to the public?
BBC: Israel says it will allow 'basic amount' of food into Gaza, ending 10-week blockade
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy90d929yyno
Axios: Israeli Cabinet approves resuming immediate humanitarian aid to Gaza
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/18/gaza-humanitarian-aid-israel
CNN: Israel begins extensive Gaza ground operation after intense airstrikes kill more than 100 overnight
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/18/middleeast/israel-gaza-peace-talks-millitary-operation-intl \
Axios: U.S. presses Israel and Hamas to accept updated offer for Gaza ceasefire
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/18/gaza-ceasefire-hamas-trump
Colombia seeks to join China-based development bank as Latin America drifts away from Washington
https://www.yahoo.com/news/colombia-seeks-join-china-based-134115422.html
Officials across US government scramble to implement Trump’s surprise Syria announcement
https://www.yahoo.com/news/officials-across-us-government-scramble-130050696.html
Comment: " 'This was not an off-the-cuff decision by the president. The possibility had been discussed for months, but Trump barreled far beyond what was happening at the working level,' said a source familiar with the discussions."
The Guardian: Israel accused of ethnic cleansing after more than 140 killed in Gaza in 24 hours
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/17/israel-gaza-ethnic-cleansing-palestinian-death-toll
The Guardian: Trump to talk to Putin on Monday about Ukraine ceasefire proposal and trade
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/17/trump-putin-zelenskyy-social-media-clintons-walmart
The Hill: Trump shows signs of losing patience with Putin amid offer of meeting
Comment: "The Russian leader says he ultimately wants the promise of a better U.S. relationship but has shown little willingness to offer any concessions when it comes to Ukraine."
"Trump, on the other hand, is critical of U.S. military support for Ukraine and wants to get into business with Russia. And the president views the war as needlessly destructive to both people and property."
AP News: After Putin is a no-show at talks in Turkey, Trump says he’ll meet the Russian leader soon
Comment: Would Putin find it advantageous to deal with Trump rather than Zelenskyy?
politico.eu: European leaders want to turn screws on Putin after delayed Turkey talks
https://www.politico.eu/article/european-leaders-turn-screws-putin-delayed-turkey-talks/
Axios: Russia and Ukraine far apart on ceasefire in first meeting in 3 years
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/16/russia-ukraine-ceasefire-talks-turkey
Politico: Hegseth briefly paused cyber ops against Russia as part of negotiations, GOP Rep. Bacon says
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/16/hegseth-cyber-operations-russia-pause-00354072
The Guardian: Trump says people in Gaza are starving and US will take care of situation
Comment: Details on how we "will take care of situation?"
NBC News: Trump administration working on plan to move 1 million Palestinians to Libya
Comment: Did anyone ask the Palestinians if they wanted to go to Libya?
CNN: Head of controversial new Gaza aid group says he won’t be part of displacing Palestinians, urges UN to participate in plan
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/middleeast/israel-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-interview-latam-intl
CNN: Israel ramps up strikes in Gaza, killing dozens, as Trump floats ‘freedom zone’
Comment: "But on Thursday, he said he wanted the US to 'take' Gaza and turn it into a 'freedom zone.' "
Comment:" 'I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good, make it a freedom zone, let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,' Trump said in Qatar."
Russia and Ukraine agree to swap prisoners but no ceasefire after Turkey talks
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/15/nx-s1-5399199/ukraine-russia-talks-turkey-zelenskyy-putin
Axios: Scoop: U.S. presented Iran with nuclear deal proposal
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/15/iran-deal-proposal-witkoff-enrichment
AP News: UN aid chief defends using 'genocide' in Gaza remarks to the Security Council that Israel rejects
NBC News: Is Syria's new president a U.S. ally or enemy?
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/syrias-new-president-us-ally-enemy-rcna206861
Axios: Trump meets Syrian president al-Sharaa, ex-jihadist who toppled Assad
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/14/trump-meets-syria-president-sharaa
Video: CNN takes a close look at Trump's family business ties to the Middle East - May 14, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC88Mrq-Ezw
Noem's claim that Afghan refugees can safely return to their Taliban-ruled homeland is 'just absurd,' advocates say
Comment: "Lawmakers, including some Republicans, said the administration was jeopardizing the lives of those who had stood by the United States.
Axios: Israel agrees to resume Gaza aid after two month freeze, foundation says
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/14/israel-resume-gaza-aid-foundation
The Guardian: Israel’s ‘no hunger in Gaza’ narrative flies in face of obvious evidence
Video: CNN: UN aid chief calls on Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/14/world/video/un-aid-chief-address-israel-gaza-blockade-ldn-digvid
India pushes back on Trump claiming credit for India-Pakistan ceasefire
The Guardian: Putin will not travel to Istanbul for peace talks with Zelenskyy, Kremlin confirms
The Hill: Ukraine’s allies prepare to call Putin’s bluff on peace talks in Turkey
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5300841-ukraine-russia-summit-talks-trump/
The Guardian: Ukraine war briefing: Europe ready with sanctions if no ceasefire after Istanbul talks
Zelenskyy repeats vow to wait in Turkey for face-to-face talks with Putin | Volodymyr Zelenskyy | The Guardian
CNN: Bullying only leads to self-isolation, Xi says day after US-China tariff truce
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/business/china-xi-comments-us-tariff-war-intl-hnk
The Guardian: Monday briefing: Is Israel using starvation as a weapon of war?
NPR: The U.S. has a plan for getting food into Gaza. Top aid groups object to the idea
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/11/nx-s1-5395011/israel-new-gaza-aid-plan-us
Comment: "Gaza's population would be forced to move south in order to receive aid in a new zone cordoned off by Israel's military ....."
Satellite images show Russian military buildup near Finnish border - Helsinki Times
India and Pakistan accuse each other of violating ceasefire hours after reaching deal
https://apnews.com/article/india-pakistan-missiles-air-bases-1de0ca13c13899f0bd3530b4808d45ad
Axios: Trump announces "full and immediate" ceasefire between India and Pakistan
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/10/trump-india-pakistan-ceasefire
NBC News: Trump envoy relied on Kremlin interpreter in meetings with Putin to end war in Ukraine
Axios: Scoop: UAE tells Israel it won't work with new Gaza aid mechanism "as it stands"
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/09/uae-gaza-humanitarian-foundation-israel
CNN: US admits its new aid plan would initially only feed 60% of Gaza, as UN rejects proposal
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/middleeast/us-gaza-aid-plan-un-rejection-intl
BBC: US confirms plan for private firms to deliver Gaza aid despite UN alarm
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp92rlm300mo
Pentagon considers shifting Greenland to US Northern Command, sparking concerns over Trump’s ambitions for the territory | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/politics/pentagon-greenland-northern-command
ABC News: Danish leader says 'You cannot spy against an ally' after reports of US gathering intel on Greenland
The Guardian: Denmark to summon US envoy over report of Greenland spying directive
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/07/greenland-spying-surveillance
US intelligence agencies told to ramp up spying on Greenland as Trump eyes takeover
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/us-intelligence-agencies-told-ramp-005618753.html
Politico: Pelosi warns the US needs NATO too
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/07/pelosi-warns-the-us-needs-nato-too-00334512
NBC News: Prime Minister Mark Carney tells Trump that Canada is 'not for sale' as the two leaders meet to discuss tariffs
Carney says Canada is "not for sale, it won't be for sale, ever" in Oval Office meeting with Trump - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-mark-carney-canada-meeting/
Reuters: Order by Hegseth to cancel Ukraine weapons caught White House off guard
CNN: Trump’s trade war with Canada has backfired on America. Now he has a crucial meeting with Mark Carney
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/business/canada-trump-carney-trade-war-tariffs
Trade negotiations: Trump officials will meet with China | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/politics/negotiations-trade-china-trump
Israel lobbying Trump to visit during Middle East trip
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/06/trump-visit-israel-during-middle-east-trip
PBS: An Israeli plan to seize the Gaza Strip is met with alarm
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/an-israeli-plan-to-seize-the-gaza-strip-is-met-with-alarm
BBC: Israel strikes Yemen's main airport in Sanaa
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7050j07gedo
How Trump’s walkaway diplomacy enabled Israel’s worst impulses | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/06/trump-diplomacy-israel-gaza-war
Reuters: Restrictions on aid deliveries by foreign governments may violate law, US lawmakers say
AP News: Gaza aid dries up as Israeli blockade enters a third month
https://apnews.com/article/gaza-aid-hunger-israel-hamas-b7429c043bc9d01717713eab21bae546
The Guardian: Gaza will be entirely destroyed, Israeli minister says
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/06/hamas-israel-hunger-war-in-gaza
CNN: Netanyahu vows to relocate Gaza’s population after security cabinet approves plan to ‘conquer’ the enclave
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/05/middleeast/israel-gaza-expansion-hnk-intl
BBC: Israel cabinet approves plan to 'capture' Gaza - official
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy04km1zk0o
BBC: Americans used to be steadfast in their support for Israel. Those days are gone
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cr4n90g6v9qo
The Independent: Israeli cabinet approves plan to capture all of Gaza and keep its soldiers there indefinitely
PBS: Sheinbaum says she rejected Trump’s plan to send U.S. troops across the border to Mexico
BBC: Netanyahu vows response after Houthi missile hits near Israel's main airport
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyvqr00278no
Video: John Bolton slams Trump negotiator: ‘Hard to imagine a less qualified person’
https://www.yahoo.com/news/john-bolton-slams-trump-negotiator-232722727.html
Video: State Dept. official appears caught off-guard by Cabinet shakeup | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/politics/video/bruce-rubio-state-department-waltz-trump-atwood-digvid
Trump news at a glance: Rubio now holds four titles after Waltz out as national security chief | Trump administration | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/02/president-trump-administration-news-updates-today
Marco Rubio Now Has 4 Different Roles in Trump Admin After Shuffling of Mike Waltz
https://people.com/marco-rubio-four-different-roles-trump-administration-11726691
Trump nominates Waltz as UN ambassador, Rubio as national security adviser
https://thehill.com/homenews/5277929-mike-waltz-un-ambassador-rubio-nsc/
Rubio’s Team Launches ‘Witch Hunt’ for Staff Who Criticized Alex Jones
https://www.yahoo.com/news/rubio-team-launches-witch-hunt-010005257.html
AP News: US and Ukraine sign minerals deal after Trump presses Kyiv to pay back US for helping repel Russia
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-putin-trump-peace-ce025ba11929ceff0c90f94c25a47624
For News Articles links from before May 1st, 2025, please go to:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-foreign-policy
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to May 1, 2025 (Including article links prior to the November 2024 election, found by clicking a second google sites website link at the end of the site referenced immediately above). The article history can be viewed as follows:
www.dalecodemocrats.com (latest)
sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/ (Nov 2024 election - April 30, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/ (Prior to 2024 election)
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